Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. It's most famously celebrated with parades in New Orleans And that history is far more religious than we usually recognize. Mardi Gras is French for ‘Fat Tuesday.’ Mardi Gras is the final day of the festivities known as Carnival and is celebrated in predominately Catholic locations around the world—most famously in cities such as New Orleans and Rio de Jainaro. Mardi Gras is strongly associated with wild bacchanalia and debauchery, but the original intent of the holiday and how it's kept by the faithful is much different. Fat Tuesday, as it is known in English, is a long-standing tradition of the Catholic Church and it marks the last day of ordinary time before the start of Lent, a time of fasting and 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] That’s because Christian Mardi Gras is the final day before Lent begins. Lent is a period of 40 weekdays that, in the Christian Church, devoted to fasting, abstinence and penitence. The traditional purpose of Lent is to prepare believers for the annual commemoration of how Jesus gave up his life for his followers, and the miracle that was His History of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival in many countries, is a time of unrestrained fun, in which observers indulge in many desires. Any festival or religious observes of The History of New Orleans Mardi Gras . Although the date of the first organized celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is debatable, the 1730 account of one Marc-Antoine Caillot (a young clerk sent to Louisiana by the French Company of the Indies) mentions a celebration with music and dance, mask-wearing and costumes—including cross-dressing. Mardi Gras became an “official” Christian holiday in 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII instituted the namesake Gregorian calendar still in use today. By recognizing Mardi Gras as an overture to Lent, the idea was for all the partying and foolery to be over with when it came time to observe the requisite austerities. The Christian church played a significant role in shaping the early history of Mardi Gras. In the 5th century, the Catholic Church introduced the concept of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and abstinence from meat, wine, and other luxuries . Mardi Gras "is a lively, colorful [not to mention bawdy and debased] celebration held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins," says the World Book Encyclopedia. It " goes back to an ancient Roman custom of merrymaking before a period of fast. Fat Tuesday, also known as ‘Mardi Gras,’ is a French celebration. Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the Christian Lent season, is observed on this day.Many Christians fast during Lent, which is known as Fat Tuesday, and the date is typically the last day of eating richer foods before the start of Lent. Today, the celebration of Mardi Gras or Carnival has very little to do with religion. Although found primarily in Roman Catholic areas and based on the tradition of Shrove Tuesday, Carnival is now characterized by raucous celebration and merrymaking to an excess that the Church frowns upon.[#1781] [#1783] History and Meaning of Mardi Gras 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. On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. Today, Mardi Gras continues to be a beloved celebration around the world, with millions of people participating in the festivities each year. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the festival or you’re just learning about it for the first time, there’s no denying the rich history and culture that surrounds this vibrant holiday. 1. 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 ON PARADE. Quite frankly, religious people use Mardi Gras as a license to sin. Mardi Gras parades, complete with bead tossing from floats, involve alcohol, gluttony, and dancing. Sexual acts—including exposing certain body parts—are prevalent. People just seem to lose all temperance, doing whatever they want and how much they want. Mardi Gras, or the Fat Tuesday as you may call it, is a series of carnival celebrations beginning after the King’s Day and day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is rich in tradition, and few know The first modern Mardi Gras took place in 1857. The 1946 celebration marked the first Mardi Gras in four years after being canceled in 1942 due to World War II. Few people realize that the colors of beads tossed around at Mardi Gras have religious significance. The official colors are purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
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