In the United Kingdom, Mardi Gras is more usually known by the food-related name Pancake Day.
The day is also traditionally called Shrove Tuesday, the final Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. “Shrove” comes from “shrive,” referring to confession and absolution before the Lenten fast.
Pancakes became associated with the day because households could use up rich ingredients such as eggs, milk and butter before Lent. The custom produced pancake races and tossing competitions, with the annual race at Olney in Buckinghamshire among the best-known examples.
Pancake Day is not a separate date from Shrove Tuesday: the names describe the same calendar day. “Mardi Gras,” meaning “Fat Tuesday,” is the more familiar French-derived term in places such as New Orleans, while “Pancake Day” is the usual British food-centered name.