When is Mardi Gras?

What are the dates for Mardi Gras over the next few years? Is there an easy way to calculate the date?

Fat Tuesday — which is actually what “Mardi Gras” means in French — is always the day before Lent begins (Ash Wednesday).

Another way to think of it is as being 47 days before Easter. That means Mardi Gras can fall on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9.

It’s worth noting that many places — such as New Orleans — celebrate Mardi Gras for several days, with the final day of festivities happening on Fat Tuesday.

Mardi Gras dates

Here are the dates for Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras through the year 2030!

2020: February 25
2021: February 16
2022: March 1
2023: February 21
2024: February 13
2025: March 4
2026: February 17
2027: February 9
2028: February 29
2029: February 13
2030: March 5

Carnival!

Mardi Gras is also celebrated as Carnival in many places around the world — most notably in Rio de Janeiro — and is usually a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox celebration.