Pancake Day 2025: Why it falls a later date this year
Shops are already stocking batter mixes and lemons, but we’ll have to wait a little longer to celebrate the day that typically falls in February.
Shrove Tuesday, as it’s formally known in the Christian calendar, marks the last day before Lent for Christians and is traditionally a period of abstinence. This is associated with clearing cupboards of goods such as sugar, fats, and eggs.
The day always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year. It comes the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent, which sees many Christians take part in a 40-day period of fasting and sacrifice leading up to Easter.
Pancake Day can often fall between February 3 and March 9 – this year falling on the latter end of the spectrum on March 4. It last fell in the first week of March in 2022 and previously 2019.
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How to make the perfect pancake
According to Jamie Oliver, then a pinch of sea salt, flour, milk and three large eggs is the best starting point…
- Place 125g of plain flour and one pinch of sea salt into a large bowl
- Crack in three large free-range eggs and pour in 250ml of milk
- Whisk well until you get a smooth batter, or alternatively blitz it all in a liquidiser. Leave to one side for 15 minutes
- Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Once hot, rub a knob of butter around the pan so it melts
- Pour in one ladle of the batter, lift the pan off of the heat and tilt it so that the batter spreads all over the base
- Place the pan back on the heat for one to two minutes, or until the batter starts to come away from the sides and you can remove it easily from the pan
- Serve straightaway with your favourite topping, or stack your pancakes on a plate and keep warm in a low oven until you’re ready to tuck in
When is Easter this year?
This year, the spring equinox falls on Thursday, March 20. Meaning that Easter Sunday is April 20. The Easter holidays will likely fall between April 14 to April 25th.
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.