Jueves Lardero is the Thursday before Ash Wednesday: carnival’s opening and the last big meat picnic before Lent in Spanish tradition.
Verified data
In 2026, the dataset records Fat Thursday (Jueves Lardero) as a local holiday in 7 municipalities, accounting for 29,571 residents in the 2025 register. The most common date is 12 February 2026.
This comparison uses only the official working calendars incorporated into the dataset for each year.
Demographic profile
Age, citizenship, birthplace and average-age structure from the 2025 Annual Population Census.
49.8% / 50.2%
14.5%
67%
18.4%
7.6%
9%
42.9 years
Comparison with Spain and with the aggregate of the 2 regions where it is observed. All five comparisons are population-weighted and use only the 2025 Annual Census. A positive sign means the covered population has a higher value than the benchmark.
| Demographic profile | Covered population | Compared with Spain | Compared with its 2 regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 0–14 | 14.5% | +1.6 pp | +0.8 pp |
| Aged 65+ | 18.4% | -2.3 pp | -0.9 pp |
| Foreign citizenship | 7.6% | -6.5 pp | -3.1 pp |
| Born outside Spain | 9% | -10.2 pp | -4.5 pp |
| Weighted mean age | 42.9 years | -1.7 years | -0.8 years |
The largest difference from Spain is in “Born outside Spain”: -10.2 pp.
Sex comes from the 2025 municipal register; all other metrics come from the 2025 Annual Census. Each percentage uses the total from its own statistical operation. INE municipal tables 68535 and 68541.
Jueves Lardero—also called Jueves Gordo, Fat Thursday—is the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday. In much of Spain it opens carnival: six days of ritual excess before the Lenten fast. The name comes from Latin lardarius (a dealer in bacon fat); lardo is lard or fatback.
The most widespread custom is an outdoor snack of pork with bread and egg or omelette, shared with family or friends. Regions keep their own dishes and names: longaniza sausage in Aragon, botifarra and coca de llardons in Catalonia (dijous gras / dijous llarder), hornazo pastry in parts of Andalusia, «jueves merendero» in areas of Castile and León.
As a movable feast tied to Easter, the date shifts each year. In 2026 it falls on 12 February. Some municipalities set it as a local public holiday; it is not a national day off, only a carnival tradition the labour calendar records where the town hall names it.
More picnic than solemn procession, Fat Thursday is a farewell to meat before Lent and a gateway into carnival. This entry summarises the shared Spanish frame without inventing one menu or outing for every town.
When
In 2026 it falls on Thursday 12 February in most municipalities.
| Year | Main date | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Thursday, 12 February | 7 |
Where it's a holiday
Its local holiday in 2026, by region. Each municipality links to its annual record and the available official source.
Together, they account for 29,571 residents in the INE municipal register at 1 January 2025.
Andalucía5
Castilla-La Mancha2
FAQ
In 2026, Fat Thursday (Jueves Lardero) is mainly celebrated on 12 February 2026 (Thursday). Some municipalities move it to another date on the working calendar.
It's a local holiday in 7 municipalities in 2026, accounting for 29,571 residents in the 2025 register; mostly in Andalucía (5 municipalities).
No. Fat Thursday (Jueves Lardero) is a local-level holiday: it's only a non-working day in the municipalities that set it as their local festival; each keeps its official source.
Other holidays
Per-municipality data with its official source (regional gazette). Every date is verifiable on the municipality page. Data from festivos.io — CC BY 4.0.