Next: 9 Feb 2027
Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras
The last day before Lent: pancakes in Britain and Ireland, king cake and parades in New Orleans.
When is Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras in 2027?
Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras 2027 is on Tuesday, 9 February 2027. Other years: 2026, Tuesday, 17 February 2026; 2028, Tuesday, 29 February 2028.
About Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, when households used up the eggs, butter and fat they would not eat during Lent. In Britain, Ireland, Canada and Australia, it is Pancake Day, with pancakes flipped in a pan, lemon and sugar, and pancake races such as the one at Olney, which has been run since the fifteenth century. In France and in Louisiana it is Mardi Gras, "fat Tuesday", the climax of the Carnival season. In New Orleans, parades of krewes on floats throw beads and doubloons, and people eat king cake, a ring of sweet dough with a hidden baby figure. In Germany and Poland, doughnuts are the treat of the day, and in Iceland it is Bolludagur and Sprengidagur.
Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 17 February 2026 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, 9 February 2027 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, 29 February 2028 |
What is eaten
- pancakes
- king cake
- paczki
- doughnuts
Also part of it, and being written: Pancake Day (The British and Irish custom.), Mardi Gras in New Orleans (The parades and balls of Louisiana.), King cake (The ring cake with a hidden figure.), Pączki (The Polish filled doughnut of Fat Thursday.).
More marked on Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming
A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival
🇺🇸 New Orleans, United States and 5 moreMardi Gras
A festive day of parades and rich foods marking the final celebration before the Christian fasting season of Lent beginsFestival
🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCarnival of VeniceCarnevale di Venezia
A historic festival in Italy famous for elaborate masks and anonymous social gatherings.Festival
🇭🇺 Mohács, HungaryBusójárás
A six-day winter carnival of carved wooden masks, folk music, and parades in MohácsFestival
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 5 moreFastelavn
A pre-Lenten carnival in Northern Europe where children dress up, sing for treats, and break candy-filled barrels.Festival · Sweets given and shared
🇧🇪 Aalst, BelgiumAalst CarnivalAalst Carnaval
A three-day street carnival of satire, costumed parades and folk rituals in AalstFestival
🇸🇮 Ptuj, Slovenia and 1 moreKurentovanje
A rite of spring and carnival in Ptuj with masked bell-ringers chasing winter awayFestival
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreAsh WednesdayDies Cinerum
A solemn Christian holy day of prayer, fasting, and the placing of ashesSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇧🇪 Binche, BelgiumCarnival of BincheCarnaval de Binche
A Belgian pre-Lenten festival known for masked dancers and orange tossingFestival
🇧🇪 Binche, BelgiumGillesGille
Costumed carnival figures of Binche and surrounding Belgian townsFestival
🇩🇪 Cologne, Germany and 2 moreGerman CarnivalKarneval
Pre-Lenten street parades, costume balls and local revels across German-speaking lands.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇭🇹 Port-au-Prince, HaitiHaitian CarnivalKanaval
Haiti's annual street festival of music, satirical plays and costumed paradesFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇹 Venice, Italy and 5 moreCarnival
A season of parades, masks and feasting in the days before LentFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇱🇹 LithuaniaUžgavėnės
A Lithuanian winter-ending festival of masks, mock battles and pancakesFestival
🇫🇷 FranceLa soule
A rough medieval ball game from Normandy and Picardy played between parishes on religious holidays.Game
🇬🇧 Atherstone, United KingdomAtherstone Ball Game
An annual medieval football match played in Atherstone on Shrove Tuesday to honour a 12th-century victory.Game
🇬🇧 Ashbourne, United Kingdom and 1 moreRoyal Shrovetide Football
A medieval mob football game played in Ashbourne on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.Game
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Shrove Tuesday" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Busójárás: User:Themightyquill, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Fastelavn: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Haitian Carnival: User:Doron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- German Carnival: Neva Micheva, CC BY 2.5, source
- Užgavėnės: Algirdas at Lithuanian Wikipedia, GFDL, source
- Aalst Carnival: Wikisid, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kurentovanje: Aleš Kravos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ash Wednesday: Oxh973, Public domain, source
- Carnival of Binche: Marie-Claire, CC BY 3.0, source
- Royal Shrovetide Football: Adrian Roebuck, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Carnival of Venice: Roberto Vicario, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mumming: Flemish illuminator Jehan de Grise and his workshop, 1338-1344, Public domain, source
- Carnival: Etienne Le Cocq, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- La soule: Unknown author Unknown author illustrator (based on a sketch by M.J.L., Public domain, source
- Atherstone Ball Game: Adrian Roebuck, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mardi Gras: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0, source