Eat Pancakes, Tamales, and Sausages With More Light in Portland

What a day to eat pancakes, tamales, or sausages. — Sunrise in the Grant Park neighborhood. More light is coming.

Over the years here, I’ve highlighted food traditions connected to the date of February 2, which in the U.S. is know best as Groundhog Day. It’s also Candelmas, a Christian feast day, and Imbolc, a Celtic cross-quarter festival that starts the night before. This day is significant because it is the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. And it’s a day to eat pancakes, tamales, and sausages.

Below we’ll recap our roundups of where to find these foods to enjoy on February 2 as a way to welcome the increasing amount of light.

Pancakes, Tamales, and Ground Hogs

These three foods are what I associate with February 2, and they come from different traditions—some serious, and some not.

Pancakes

The reason you eat pancakes or crepes on February 2 is because these round, golden objects represent the sun, which we continue to see longer into the days as we move steadily toward its height at the summer solstice. In the Celtic calendar, Imbolc is the first day of spring.

This decision to eat pancakes on February 2 is a particularly popular one in France, Belgium, and Swiss Romandy. Here’s our 2024 roundup of places to get pancakes in the Portland area, updated this year.

Tamales

Eating tamales on February 2 is directly connected to the Rosca de Reyes consumption at Epiphany—if you find the muñeco (baby) in your piece of cake, you’re in charge of the tamales on Candelmas. And if that’s you—or if you just want to eat these delicious packets of masa and fillings—here’s our 2025 list of places to find tamales in the area, updated this year.

A recent article asserts that in Mexico they could spend over one billion pesos on tamales for Candelmas this year. And then there’s this: “In Mexico City, the Los Pinos Cultural Complex (the former residence of Mexico’s presidents) will join in the celebration [Encuentro de Sabores Tamaleros] with a culinary event offering over 80 varieties of tamales.” 80 varieties! Mind blowing.

Additionally, along with the tamales one can choose to drink hot chocolate or atole, a hot masa-based beverage; champurrado is a version containing chocolate.

Groundhog/Ground Hog

Eat sausages! These come from Scratch Meats. — Sausages from Scratch Meats. Photo credit: Scratch Meats.

This is a play on words, of course, which I first learned from some friends decades ago. Groundhog Day is February 2, when, according to tradition, the groundhog sees his shadow (or not), determining spring sooner or later.

I like the idea of eating sausages (ground hog) on that day—here’s our updated 2023 list on where to find sausages for Ground Hog Day, or any day. And you do not have to be completely literal on the hog part—vegan sausages are completely fine, as this is a made up kind of occasion!

But what is not made up is that Stumptown Fil will be stepping out on Feb 2 and will let us know if we will have more or less winter to come this year.

Bonus: It’s National Tot Day

That’s right: February 2 is National Tater Tot Day. Tater tots were invented in Ontario Oregon by Ore-Ida. They wanted to figure out how to, in modern terms, “combat food waste”: the company had a bunch of leftover slivers of cut potatoes, so they chopped them up, added flour, and like any good industrial food company, extruded them.

McMenamins has a bunch of tots specials that day. And hey, they’re kind of round and golden, so why not enjoy some tots to welcome back the sun.

I’ll also take this time to mention the Portland Winter Light Festival. Talk about bringing the light back. The festival lasts from Friday, February 6 to Saturday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day). It’s a joyous time around the city.

So there you have it. Enjoy the seasonal food (eat pancakes, tamales, and sausages), the increasing amount of sunlight, and time with the ones you love.