How is the date for Mardi Gras determined? This year, the date is February 24, but any Tuesday from February 3 to March 9 could be the one. The rule is: Mardi Gras is always 46 days before Easter, which is always the first Sunday after the full moon following the Spring Equinox. And when is the Spring Equinox? It’s the day when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, making day and night all over the planet the same length. Because this date changes, Easter and Mardi Gras shift also. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25.  Isn’t this easy?  Try the following chart for quick reference.

Upcoming Mardi Gras Dates:

2009 February 24 2016 February 9
2010 February 16 2017 February 28
2011 March 8 2018 February 13
2012 February 21 2019 March 5
2013 February 12 2020 February 25
2014 March 4 2021 February 16
2015 February 17 2022 March 1