When Carnival is: the rule
Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the last day of Carnival, falls 47 days before Easter Sunday; the next day is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Because Easter moves between 22 March and 25 April, Mardi Gras can fall anywhere between 3 February and 9 March. The calculator computes Easter with the Gregorian calendar algorithm and derives Mardi Gras from it, so it never needs updating.
Other Carnival dates
- Fat Thursday: 5 days before Shrove Tuesday (52 days before Easter), the start of the festive week in many cities.
- Carnival Sunday: 2 days before Shrove Tuesday.
- Pancake Day: the British name for Shrove Tuesday.
Parades and holidays
Venice, Rio, New Orleans, Cologne and Viareggio hold their parades in the weekends before Shrove Tuesday: with the "Year" menu you can find the dates years in advance.
Other countdowns
⏳ How many days until a date 🎄 How many days until Christmas 🎆 How many days until New Year 🧹 How many days until Epiphany 💘 How many days until Valentine's Day 🐣 How many days until Easter ☀️ How many days until summer 🏖️ How many days until Ferragosto (15 August) 🎃 How many days until Halloween 🎒 How many days until school starts 🏁 How many days until school ends 🎂 How many days until my birthday
Frequently asked questions
Why does Carnival change date every year?
Because it depends on Easter, the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Shrove Tuesday is 47 days earlier.
When is Fat Thursday?
Five days before the Shrove Tuesday shown by the calculator.
Is Mardi Gras a public holiday?
In a few places (for example Louisiana, Rio de Janeiro and some German cities) yes; in most countries it is a normal day.