When is Mardi Gras this year? How the date for "Fat Tuesday" is determined

Mardi Gras celebrations are held every year around the world, with the most famous one being in New Orleans. The festivities take place during the two weeks leading up to “Shrove Tuesday,” which marks the end of the celebrations.

The date of this festival varies each year, depending on the date of Easter, and it marks the beginning of the Christian observance of Lent. Lent is a 40-day period during which Christians give up a chosen luxury and fast, starting at midnight on Ash Wednesday, the day after Shrove Tuesday. To avoid temptation before the solemn remembrance of Jesus Christ’s 40-day fast and temptation by Satan in the desert, people empty their cupboards of fatty foods and indulge in feasting and revelry.

When is Mardi Gras in 2025?

This year the party in New Orleans falls on March 4. Celebrations and events will be announced shortly and will take place before and after March 4 in The Big Easy.

How the date for Mardi Gras is determined

Mardi Gras is determined by the date of Easter each year, which is determined by the first full moon following the spring equinox. Easter can fall in either March or April, depending on the lunar cycle. As Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, and Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter, meaning that Mardi Gras can fall in either February or March. In 2025 Easter Sunday falls on April 20.

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