What do Christians call Pancake Day? Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, and Carnival

The short answer: Christians call Pancake Day Shrove Tuesday in English-speaking traditions, from the Old English verb to shrive — to confess sins and receive absolution. Catholic and French-speaking traditions call it Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Carnival. All three names refer to the same day: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which begins the 40-day fast of Lent.

If a parent has been asked "Mum, why do we eat pancakes?" by a child preparing for school, this is the page that answers it without needing a theology degree. The naming is layered — the same Tuesday is called several different things by different Christian traditions, all linked to what happens the next day.

Shrove Tuesday — the English-speaking Christian name

"Shrove Tuesday" is the formal name in the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and most other English-speaking Christian calendars. The word shrove is the past tense of shrive, an Old English verb meaning "to confess and receive absolution from a priest". On the medieval calendar, the Tuesday before Lent was the last opportunity for the faithful to be shriven before the penitential season began the next morning.

Many parishes still ring a bell on the day — the shriving bell, sometimes called the pancake bell. The bell at Olney parish church in Buckinghamshire is rung every year before the famous Olney pancake race. The name "Shrove Tuesday" therefore points to the day's religious purpose: confession before the fast.

Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday — the Catholic and French-speaking name

In French-speaking Catholic traditions — France itself, French-speaking Canada, French Catholic Louisiana, parts of West and Central Africa — the same day is called Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday". The "fat" refers to the rich foods (butter, lard, eggs, milk, sugar, meat) being used up before the Lenten fast began.

The Italian equivalent is Martedì Grasso, the Spanish Martes Gordo, the Swedish Fettisdagen, the Icelandic Sprengidagur. The pattern is consistent across European Catholic and Lutheran cultures: the day is named after the feasting, not the confession.

Carnival — the broader Catholic tradition

In Catholic Europe and Latin America, the entire pre-Lenten period is called Carnival (or Carnaval) — from the Latin carne levare, "to remove meat", referring to the Lenten abstinence from meat that begins on Ash Wednesday. Carnival is a multi-day festival that climaxes on Mardi Gras itself. The largest Carnival celebrations in the world are in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Italy (Venice), Germany (Cologne), and Louisiana (New Orleans).

Less common Christian names for the day

• Pancake Tuesday — common in Ireland, Australia, and parts of the UK. The everyday name; not strictly liturgical.
• Quinquagesima Tuesday — older Catholic liturgical name, referring to the 50 days before Easter.
• Confession Tuesday — direct translation of "Shrove Tuesday" sometimes used in older English-language church writing.
• Cheesefare Tuesday / Forgiveness Sunday — Eastern Orthodox traditions follow a different pre-Lenten week, with Forgiveness Sunday rather than a Tuesday marking the start of the Great Fast.

Why one day has so many names

Each name reflects what its tradition emphasised most. Shrove Tuesday emphasises confession (English Anglican). Mardi Gras emphasises feasting (French Catholic). Carnival emphasises the wider festival period (Italian and Latin Catholic). Pancake Day emphasises the food itself (everyday British). Pączki Day emphasises the Polish doughnut. Fasnacht emphasises the German pastry.

The day is one. The framing is many. Most modern Christians know the day by whichever name is dominant in their country, denomination, or family — and most non-Christian users of the day, in Britain at least, simply call it Pancake Day.

How the day fits into the Christian year

Shrove Tuesday is the third day of Shrovetide — the three-day period of Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday (also called Collop Monday), and Shrove Tuesday — leading directly into Ash Wednesday and the 40-day fast of Lent. Lent itself prepares Christians for Holy Week and Easter Sunday, the most important date in the Christian calendar.

Pancakes (or any rich food) are eaten on Shrove Tuesday because the next morning, on Ash Wednesday, observant Christians traditionally begin abstaining from rich foods, meat, and indulgences for 40 days. The pre-Lenten meal is the practical "use it up" solution to a pantry full of perishables. Different cultures used up different foods, which is why the day has so many regional names — but the underlying liturgical purpose is the same.

For the deeper history of why pancakes specifically became the British food of choice, see why we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

Explaining it to a child

If you are explaining the day to a child for the first time, the simplest framing is: "Christians call today Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. Tomorrow is the start of Lent — six and a bit weeks before Easter — when many Christians stop eating treats. So today is the last day to use up the eggs, butter, and milk before the change. Pancakes are the easiest way to do that, which is why we eat them."

That explanation works for a five-year-old, a fifteen-year-old, and most adults. The theology can come later if anyone is interested.