Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) is celebrated in many countries, especially those with Christian traditions, but it is particularly associated with the UK and other English‑speaking countries.

Quick Scoop: Where it’s Celebrated

  • United Kingdom & Ireland – Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday is a well‑known annual event, with pancake races and home cooking being a big part of the day.
  • Other English‑speaking countries – Countries such as Australia and Canada also mark Shrove Tuesday with pancakes.
  • France, USA and others (as Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday) – In places like France and the United States, the same pre‑Lent day is widely celebrated as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, with rich foods (including pancakes in some homes) and big parties.
  • Parts of Europe via Carnival traditions – In Spain, Italy, Brazil and other countries, Shrove Tuesday falls at the end of Carnival, a festive period before Lent where people also enjoy rich, fatty foods.
  • Local “Pancake Day” highlights –
    • Olney, Buckinghamshire (England) is famous for its historic Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday.
* Liberal, Kansas (USA) joins Olney in an “International Pancake Day” race link between the two towns.

So when people ask “where is Pancake Day celebrated?”, the short answer is: it’s marked across many countries worldwide, especially in the UK and other English‑speaking nations, and more broadly anywhere Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras or pre‑Lent Carnival traditions are observed.

Key Places and Names (Table)

Here’s a quick look at different names and where they’re used:

[9][1][5] [9] [3][9] [3][9] [9][3] [3] [3] [7][1]
Region / Country Local name / Focus Notes
UK & Ireland Pancake Day / Shrove Tuesday Traditional pancakes, famous races like Olney Pancake Race.
Australia, Canada Shrove Tuesday (pancakes) Observed in churches and homes, with pancakes as a common food.
France Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) Pre‑Lent feasting; similar timing and purpose to Pancake Day.
USA Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) Biggest celebrations in New Orleans; part of same pre‑Lent tradition.
Spain, Italy, Brazil End of Carnival Shrove Tuesday is the finale of Carnival, featuring rich foods.
Denmark Fastelavn Related pre‑Lent festival, with costumes and special buns rather than classic pancakes.
Poland Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek) Happens the Thursday before Lent; focuses on doughnuts and pastries.
Olney (England) & Liberal (Kansas) International Pancake Day Linked race between Olney and Liberal every Shrove Tuesday.

Why It’s So Widespread

Pancake Day sits right before Lent, when Christians traditionally avoided rich foods like eggs, milk and butter, so pancakes became a practical (and tasty) way to use them up. Because Christianity spread widely, this pre‑Lent “feast before fasting” took on different names and styles, but the idea of enjoying rich foods—like pancakes—on that last day is shared in many countries today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.