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 is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being the last day of Traditionally for cities with strong Catholic roots, like New Orleans, Mardi Gras is a day of wild partying, parades and extravagant eating before fasting on Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday), however, is on a different day each year. 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. Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is a fundamentally Catholic celebration in which one partakes of indulgences prior to beginning the Lenten period of prayer and fasting. Today, Mardi Gras has been heavily secularized and associated with vice. Ash Wednesday is the hard line on the calendar between the excess of Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday and the start of Lent and fasting. Like all things associated with Lent, the day that Ash Wednesday falls on changes depending on when Easter is that year. In 2024, Ash Wednesday is on February 14, and it’s on March 5 in 2025. What is Lent? Like Ash Wednesday and Easter, Mardi Gras' date changes annually based on the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras will always fall on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is always about seven weeks before Mardi Gras is a festive day celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), which marks the close of the pre-Lenten season. The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent. 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 It always occurs the day before Ash Wednesday. When is Ash Wednesday 2025? Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent, will be observed on March 5, 2025. Mardi Gras' origins can be traced What Is Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday, when the Christian season of Lent begins. This day is also called Shrove Tuesday, a name that comes from the practice of “shriving”—purifying oneself through confession—before Lent. For many Christians, Shrove Tuesday is a time to receive penance and absolution. The final day of Carnival is Mardi Gras, which always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Download USA TODAY's app to get to the heart of news When is Mardi Gras 2025? It always occurs the day before Ash Wednesday. When is Ash Wednesday 2025? Ash Wednesday, marking the first day of Lent, will be observed on March 5, 2025. Mardi Gras' origins can be traced Mardi Gras History; Fat Tuesday Around the World; How to Celebrate Fat Tuesday; Fat Tuesday FAQs; Fat Tuesday is better known by its French translation, Mardi Gras. It takes place on the final day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. A Day of Preparation . Historically, the day before Ash Wednesday was itself a rather solemn day of preparation for the penitential season of Lent. Many Christians took part in the Sacrament of Confession on that day, which is why it became known as Shrove Tuesday. Concluding day of Carnival or Shrovetide; the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is always placed 47 days before the western Easter Sunday: 2025 date: March 4: 2026 date: February 17: 2027 date: February 9: Frequency: Annual: Related to Everything You Need to Know About Mardi Gras 2025. Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, is a celebration that marks the final day before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday. In 2025, it falls on March 4. But what exactly is it? Ash Wednesday is a full day of fasting and the first day of Lent. While the date can vary from February 4 to March 10, it occurs 46 days before Easter. While the date can vary from February 4 to Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday and Fat Tuesday all reference the same day, the Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday. The day is the end of the Mardi Gras season and marks the beginning of the Mardi Gras is the climax of Carnival season and is celebrated the day before the Christian season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In French, Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday,” another name for Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) is the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. In times of greater Lenten austerity in Catholic countries, Mardi Gras offered an opportunity for households to consume some
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