"TOSSING THE PANCAKE”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 March 1928, Page 11

"TOSSING THE PANCAKE”

ATOW that the Lenten season is here one is reminded of a curious ceremony which takes place in one of England’s foremost public schools on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins (says Ancien Moitrc iu the “Age”). This ceremony is known ns “Tossing the- Pancake,” and takes place at Westminster School, London.

The origin of this strange custom is unknown, but the first- known reference to it seems to be a. remark by Jeremy Bentham, the writer of jurisprudence and ethics, who attended the .school from 1755 to 1760. He writes: “One of our customs was to make the college cook toss a pancake over the bar. ” The tossing of tho pancake takes place at midday on Shrove Tuesday, the whole school being assembled to witness the performance. The headmaster invites friends of the school .to attend, and parents of the boys like to view the tossing at least once during the time that their sohs are attending the school. The scene of action is the large, historic assembly hall of Westminster School known as “Up School.” An iron bar stretches across Up School from the top of one wall to the top of the opposite one, and it is across this •bar that the unfortunate pancake is hurled.

Just before mkioay an imposing procession enters Up School, and in it one notices the principal verger of „Westminster Abbey, the college cook carrying the pancake iu a frying pan, the headmaster of Westminster, and, finally, the Dean of Westminster, the last two being in academic dress. Several days beforehand the boys of each form have elected a strong boy to represent them in the ‘ ‘ greaze ’ ’ for the pancake.

The word “greaze’-’ is a term peculiar to Westminster School, and signifies any sort of scramble. For instance, a boy who is late in arriving for a lesson sometimes offers the excuse that he was caught in a greaze at the tuck-shop. The form representatives change from their school dress, which is either the Eton jacket and striped trousers, or the morning coat (tails) and striped trousers into something warranted to stand t-ho strain of a scramble. The headmaster takes charge of the proceedings, and sees that the boys are in their proper places before

A SHROVETIDE CUSTOM

the necessary signal ‘is given. The boys , stand to the north of the -bar, while the i headmaster and the cook stand to the | south of -the bar, the boys standing with their backs to the headmaster. No warning whatever is given -to -the -precise moment that the ill-fated pancake leaves the frying pan, but it is a condition that it must not touch -the bar, •otherwise ‘‘No throw” is called, and the pancake returns to its haven of rest, only to be thrown again in another attempt to clear the bar successfully. When it has cleared the bar and comes to earth on the other side of it, the boys throw -themselves ■violently upon it," the object being to secure the largest possible piece of it. The scramble lasts for two minutes, during | which time -the pancake is many times rent asunder, and most of the -boys have their features walked upon by other participants. At this point one is permitted to doubt whether the pancake used is really an edible one, or whether ingredients of a certain resistibility and solidity are put in to enable it to put up a fight for its existence. When the two minutes are up the -boys cease their struggle, and the boy who has secured 'the largest piece of the pancake is rewarded with a guinea by the Dean of Westminster. After the ceremony the school goes to the dining hall for lunch, and there pancakes of thoroughly reliable ingredients are served .to -the •boys. Formerly it was the custom for the. whole school to ‘‘greazo” for the pancake, but this is now impracticable •owing to the large number of boys attending the school. It was Dr Eutherford, a former headmaster of Westminster School, who made the stipulation in 1885 that only one boy from each form should take part.

With regard to the actual throwing of the pancake over the bar, it should be noticed that the cook is allowed only three attempts to make the pancake pass over the bar without touching it, and there is a tradition among the boys that, if the third attempt fails, •they should throw their school books at •the unfortunate cook, for whom, in that event, the ceremony has a most undignified ending. This tradition is known as “booking the cook.” Ido not know if the “booking” has ever been actually carried out.