Pancake Day 2025 and 2026
The UK has a fairly unique tradition known as “Pancake Day” that comes the day before Lent begins. This day is otherwise known as “Shrove Tuesday” and is 47 days before Easter Sunday. In other cultures, Mardi Gras takes place on this date. Pancake day is an observance only, not an official bank holiday.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 Mar | Tue | Pancake Day |
| 2026 | 17 Feb | Tue | Pancake Day |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | |||
In times gone by, people felt the need to use up all eggs, butter, and sugar just before Lent because these items were to be given up during the fasting period. Therefore, it made sense to make pancakes out of the ingredients, and so the tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday was born.
There are also pancake races held in England this time of year, the most famous one taking place in Olney, Buckinghamshire. You have to flip a pancake in a pan while racing hundreds of yards and not dropping it on the ground. The other big tradition for pancake day is the annual Shrovetide Football matches.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 Feb | Tue | Pancake Day |
| 2023 | 21 Feb | Tue | Pancake Day |