PANCAKE Tuesday is one of the best days of the year – but what the flip is it all about?
Officially known as Shrove Tuesday, it is the time of year when people around the world whip up stacks of delicious pancakes – but the celebration will be taking place a lot later this year than in 2024.
For hundreds of years people around the world have overeaten on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, kicking off the season of Lent in the Christian tradition.
Christians believe that the 40 days leading up to Easter, known as Lent, represent the time Jesus spent fasting in the desert before his death and resurrection.
To honour this period, people traditionally gave up certain foods like meat, fish, and dairy — that’s where pancakes come in handy.
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, became the perfect opportunity to use up ingredients like eggs and butter before the fasting period began.
The pancake tradition has stuck around but people now typically choose to give something up for Lent, rather than fasting from so many items at once.
Meat, sugar, and coffee are items most commonly ditched during Lent, but in recent years, people have fasted from social media and video games as well.
Shrove Tuesday has been around for centuries, with records of it being celebrated as far back as 1439.
In Irish, the day is known as Máirt Inide, derived from the Latin initium Jejūniī, meaning “beginning of Lent”.
The date changes each year because it is based around Easter, which also varies, but it always comes between February 3 and March 9 and falls the day before Ash Wednesday, which is 47 days before Easter.
And this year, Pancake Day is landing much later than usual — on Tuesday, March 4.
WHY IS PANCAKE TUESDAY LATER THIS YEAR?
People across the world will be able to celebrate on this day next week – whether they follow Christianity or just love a good crêpe or American-style stack.
But in 2025, Easter, and Pancake Day as a result, is particularly late because it follows the lunar cycle.
Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is also called the Pink Moon.
In 2025, that full moon appears on Saturday, April 12, setting the next morning.
That makes Sunday, April 20 the first Sunday without a full moon — so that’s when Easter happens.
Count back 47 days from there, and Shrove Tuesday lands on March 4 this time around.
IS PANCAKE TUESDAY AN IRISH THING?
The specific custom of Christians eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday dates to the 16th century in the United Kingdom – so it’s not an Irish tradition.
And the first pancake recipe recorded was in an English cookbook from the 15th Century.
However, most people across Ireland will observe the day and be busy making pancakes on this day next week.
The holiday has now become recognised in many countries around the world; in America, Shrove Tuesday is known as Mardi Gras, which means Fat Tuesday.
But while Pancake Day is all about scrumptious treats, Mardi Gras takes things to a whole new level.
In places like New Orleans and Louisiana, the day is marked by lively street parties, massive parades, and plenty of music, dancing, and colourful costumes.
Of course, there’s also no shortage of food, drinks, and all-around revelry, making it a much more raucous affair than the traditional pancake feast.
