Why is Pancake Day in March this year?

With a four-day Bank Holiday weekend coming up in June, national holidays are continuing to look a bit different this year.

Last year, the Christmas and New Year holidays fell on weekends, meaning we got three extra week days off as substitutes.

And this year, Pancake Day will be taking later than usual.

Read more:Dates for the four-day Queen's Jubilee bank holiday

Shrove Tuesday usually falls in February, but this year falls on 1 March.

Traditionally, Christians take part in a ritual of burning the previous years Palm Sunday branches, going through confession and absolution and finalising your Lenten sacrifice, reports Birmingham Live.

But it's later than usual due to Easter also arriving late on Friday 17 April - for the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

The second day of March is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent for Christians, up until 14 April.

But before then, pancakes and sweets can be eaten on along with anything you plan to give up before Easter.

Traditionally Shrove Tuesday is a day to use up the sweet food items in your cupboards, in time for Lent.

Then, from Ash Wednesday, Christians choose something to give up for 40 days and 40 nights - just like Jesus had to go without food and drink for the same amount of time in the desert, taken from the Bible.

Easter marks the end of Lent and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and marks the end of Lent.

Although there are 47 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, Lent is still considered to be 40 days and nights because Sundays are not counted as part of Lent.