National Pancake Day?

I love a good celebration and thought I was up on my national holidays. Somehow, National Pancake Day has managed to escape my fine-tuned radar for years.  How can this be?  I love pancakes, I'm pretty alert--especially in the winter months because I don't have the luxury of daydreaming while watching the trees bud or frolicking through vibrant green fields...so how could I have missed this monumental holiday in February?

Now that it is on the radar, I want to know more but the quick research I've done has only left me more confused.  Several sources pointed to today, February 16th, as being National Pancake Day (one website showing government holidays even listed today as National Pecan Day?) but I've also seen several sources including IHOP's website that shows they're celebrating it on February 23. Hey, maybe we can combine the two holidays and make it National Pancake with Pecans Day? :>)

Apparently, there’s an interesting history behind National Pancake Day that IHOP celebrates. According to an IHOP brochure, for centuries the English have flipped for pancakes in celebration of Shrove Tuesday, which heralds the beginning of fasting during Lent...

Anyway, whether the official day is today, the 23rd or the entire week in between, I wish you all a happy National Pancake Day!  And, by the way, on February 23 IHOP is offering a FREE short stack of pancakes--they are hoping you will make a donation to support local children's hospitals through Children's Miracle Network or other local charities.  So, go get your free pancakes and support a worthy cause.  Everyone wins, It's all good!