What Is Pancake Day?

delicious and fun-filled day of celebration for people in lots of countries around the world.

On Pancake Day, people cook and eat a feast of pancakes. Many people also take part in fun games and activities at home, at work, at school, and in the community.

or March, on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday signals the start of Lent (the 40 days that lead up to Easter).

as the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and Canada.

Many people in the USA and France celebrate Mardi Gras instead of Pancake Day.

In Brazil, Spain, and Italy, they celebrate the last day of Carnival instead of Pancake Day.

A Mardi Gras parade

pancakes are thin (like French crepes), not thick and fluffy like American pancakes. They are most commonly topped with sugar and lemon juice.

People traditionally eat pancakes to use
up all of the butter and eggs in their
house, in preparation for the start
of Lent (Ash Wednesday), which
begins the next day.

just a day for eating lots of pancakes; it is a day for people to have lots of fun, tossing pancakes as high they can and having pancake races with their pancake pans!