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Pancake Tuesday, which takes place on the same day as Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), originated in Ireland in the 17th century. It essentially holds the same purpose—initially seeing the Irish people make pancakes with eggs and milk (basically using up their dairy products before Lent). Mardi Gras always occurs the day before Ash Wednesday, which begins the Lent season leading up to Easter. The tradition back in the day was fasting and abstaining during Lent. People would bring meat, eggs and dairy, along with alcohol, the day before for a big celebration. It is also called Mardi Gras, which means Fat Tuesday in French. It is referred to as Fastnacht Day in Germany - meaning “the eve of the fast” - and Fetter Dienstag. Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is Carnival’s culmination with a day of parades, parties and indulgence before Lent. Shrove Tuesday is basically the same thing Elaborate masks are another long Mardi Gras and Carnival are the same celebrations. Though Mardi Gras technically refers only to Fat Tuesday, the Mardi Gras season actually begins on Epiphany, a Christian holiday celebrated on Mardi Gras is the french word for Fat Tuesday and that there are different names for the holiday depending on the location of where people are celebrating. The holiday is set as a celebration to indulge before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent for Christians. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being the last day of consuming rich, fatty foods, most notably red meat, in preparation for the Christian fasting season of Lent, during which such foods are avoided. Arthur Hardy, a world-renowned expert on Mardi Gras and a fifth-generation New Orleanian, told Newsweek: "Mardi Gras is French and translates as Fat Tuesday, so called because it represents the Fat Tuesday: Known as Shrove Tuesday, Carnival Tuesday, or Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday“), this day falls on the eve of Ash Wednesday, signifying the beginning of Lent in Western Christianity. Across cultures like Brazil’s Carnaval, New Orleans, and parts of Europe, people revel in elaborate festivities and feasting before the Brittanica.com states Fat Tuesday means the same as the French name Mardi Gras − which comes from the custom of using all the fats in the home in preparation for abstinence and fasting ahead of Get ready for a night of fun, food, and festivities as Pareidolia Brewing Company hosts its Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Celebration: Beads & Brews on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the culmination of a season-long party (Carnival) and there are many events and parades to keep you busy all day long! Keep in mind, Mardi Gras Day never falls on the same Tuesday each year because Easter Sunday never falls on the same Sunday each year. See further details and explanation here. Arthur Hardy, the founder of Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, knows a thing or two about Carnival and Mardi Gras. It burns him up when people–even people in New Orleans–confuse the two. “At Mardi Gras, forget the rules and just have fun.” “Everywhere else, it’s just Tuesday.“ “Mardi Gras is that magical moment when you realize anything can happen.” “You can’t buy happiness, but you can go to Mardi Gras, and that’s pretty much the same thing.” “The entire city turns into one big, colorful celebration.” Because Fat Tuesday is the last day to eat rich, fatty foods before Lent, pancakes are a traditional Mardi Gras staple. Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day in the United Kingdom) and Lent (also known as Easter) are both common names for Mardi Gras, and the two days commemorate the beginning of Lent (the act of administering the sacrament Mardi means “Tuesday,” and Gras means “fat” and refers to the old tradition when people showed off a bœuf gras, or “fat ox,” during the holiday. It’s also a time to eat all of the meat and fatty foods before Lent starts. Mardi Gras is another name for Shrove Tuesday, and it’s a day of general excess and merrymaking for the same Fat Tuesday changes every year because Easter Sunday is never on the same Sunday each year. Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Most visitors plan to arrive no later than the Saturday prior to Mardi Gras day and stay through Ash Wednesday. Check out our dates page to see when Fat Tuesday will fall through the next few years. Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras History in New Orleans. Fat Tuesday in America predates the birth of the U.S. Some form of Fat Tuesday celebration has been taking place in New Orleans since 1699. Back then, the celebrations stretched from the Epiphany (or 3 Kings Day), which is sometimes referred to as the 12th Night (a reference to the 12 Days of What do the French eat on Fat Tuesday? Mardi Gras celebrations in France are equally full of the carnival fun you’ll find in New Orleans, but the food is just a bit different. Since Fat Tuesday is the day prior to the start of Lent, Catholics in France traditionally considered it the day to use up all the milk, fat, and eggs in the home. Technically, "Carnival" refers to the period of feasting and fun that begins on January 6 (see question below) and ends on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the final day of revelry before Ash Wednesday when Lent begins. It is also common for people to refer to the entire season as Mardi Gras and, for clarity, to call Fat Tuesday "Mardi Gras Day."
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