When is Pancake Day 2021?

Pancake Day 2021 is on Tuesday, February 16, 2021

What is Pancake Day?

In the Christian tradition, Pancake Day, also called Pancake Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras (which is French for "Fat Tuesday"), is the last day of feasting before Lent begins on the following day, Ash Wednesday. It's called so due to the custom of eating pancakes on this day, a tradition that comes from a time when any remaining rich foods were eaten on the day before Lent to use them up, and fasting begins. It's observed mainly in English-speaking countries, especially Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, but also in the Philippines and Germany.

Pancake Day is a moveable feast whose date is determined by Easter, and it's celebrated exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday. The date can vary from as early as February 3 to as late as March 9.