FREE pancakes are on offer in Sidmouth this afternoon to celebrate Shrove Tuesday.

The free pancakes will be available from St Teresa's Hall, on the corner of Connaught Road, between 2pm and 4pm.

The event's organiser, Naomi Hogg, says everyone is welcome to go along and enjoy a free pancake to celebrate Shrove Tuesday.

WHAT IS PANCAKE DAY

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins).

A bell would be rung to call people to confession. This came to be called the "Pancake Bell" and is still rung today.

Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. In 2020 Shrove Tuesday will falls February 25th.

Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.

For more information on the event at St Teresa's Hall click the red button below.