Mardi Gras (UK: / ˌ m ɑːr d i ˈ ɡ r ɑː /, US: / ˈ m ɑːr d i ɡ r ɑː /; [1] [2] also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. [3] Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is on Tuesday, March 4 this year. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Like Ash Wednesday and Easter, Mardi Gras' date changes annually based on the Spring Mardi Gras, which is also known as Fat Tuesday, is a day of indulgence that marks the end of Carnival. It's immediately followed by Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is a 40-day season of 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 Mardi Gras, also called Shrove Tuesday, takes place annually on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday—the beginning of the Christian observance of Lent, which lasts about 6 weeks and ends just before Easter. This means that Mardi Gras is a moveable holiday that can take place in either February or March. Mardi Gras in New Orleans, also known as Carnival, has been in full swing since Jan. 6 and will close with a grand, final celebration on March 4, better known as Fat Tuesday. Originating from Why is Mardi Gras also called Fat Tuesday? Well, it’s simple: in French, "mardi" means Tuesday and "gras” means fat. The name is derived from the religious origins of the festival. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It’s also called Shrove Tuesday, Carnival Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, depending on where the celebration is taking place. Mardi Gras is traditionally celebrated on “Fat Tuesday,” the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. In many areas, however, Mardi Gras has evolved into a week-long festival. Mardi The Carnival season there opens on Twelfth Night (also called Epiphany, which is observed on January 6) and climaxes with the Mardi Gras festivities commencing 10 days before Shrove Tuesday. This period is filled with citywide revelry and elaborate parades, both day and night, building up to Mardi Gras and the Rex parade. Also known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, Fat Tuesday has a rich history in both the U.S. and across the world and represents a day when Catholics and other Christians come together in celebration before the more subdued observance of Lent. Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras History in New Orleans. Fat Tuesday in America predates the birth of the U.S. The cultural celebration called Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday) occurs in the United States and around the world before the 2025 Easter season begins on Ash Wednesday.Mardi Gras features Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, the end of Carnival. Mardi Gras has many names. Mardi Gras also called Shrove Tuesday, stemming from the practice of "shriving," or purifying oneself through Mardi Gras, which is also known as Fat Tuesday, is a day of indulgence that marks the end of Carnival. It's immediately followed by Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.Lent is a 40-day season of Like some other national celebrations, Mardi Gras goes by a couple of different names. You may have heard the term Fat Tuesday thrown around, and probably wondered how the two names correlate. Well, simply put: Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. ("Mardi" is the French word for Tuesday and "gras" means fat.) Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, is a Christian feast day that occurs during a period of time known as Carnival. Carnival begins on January 6 (known as Epiphany or Three Kings Day) and concludes with Mardi Gras. In Italy Mardi Gras is called Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday). It is the main day of Carnival (Carnevale) along with the Thursday before, called Giovedí Grasso (Fat Thursday), which begins the celebrations. The most famous Carnivals in Italy are in Venice, Viareggio, and Ivrea. Ivrea has the characteristic "Battle of Oranges" that finds its It’s a good thing Mardi Gras only comes around once a year, or it wouldn’t be Fat Tuesday, it would be Fat All the Time. Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just here to put the “Fat” in “Fat Tuesday.” Mardi Gras isn’t just a holiday. It’s a whole lifestyle, and I’m here to dance and sing. [28] Elsewhere, the day has also been called "Mardi Gras", meaning "Fat Tuesday", after the type of celebratory meal that day. [29] In Germany, the day is known as Fastnachtsdienstag, Faschingsdienstag, Karnevalsdienstag or Veilchendienstag (the last of which translates to violet [the flower] Tuesday). It is celebrated with fancy dress and a Commonly called Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”), the holiday is also known as Pancake Day (primarily in the British Isles) and elsewhere as Shrove Tuesday. “Shrove” is past tense of the verb “shrive”, which means to free from guilt or confess one’s sins. When is Mardi Gras 2025? Malasada Day = Mardi Gras is Tuesday, March 4
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