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 The Connection Between Mardi Gras and Lent. Pre-Lenten Celebration: Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is intricately connected to the season of Lent in the Christian calendar. It serves as the culmination of the pre-Lenten festivities, providing a final opportunity for indulgence and revelry before the solemn observance of Lent begins. Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday are the same day, and they take place on March 4 in 2025. Mardi Gras marks the end of the pre-Lenten season. Fat Tuesday is a day of feasting before the fasting of Lent 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 The term "Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday," referring to the practice of indulging in rich foods and revelry before the solemn observance of Lent. In medieval Europe, the period leading up to Lent was marked by feasting, masquerade balls, and processions, as people sought to engage in merrymaking before the onset of the Lenten season. The French translation for Mardi Gras is "fat Tuesday". Why do people have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? The tradition was born out of followers trying to use up all their fats and eggs before Lent. This may certainly be true, but Catholic liturgists identify another link — namely, a time to extend celebrations of the Christmas season until the beginning of Lent. Whatever the case, certain cities around the world (Venice, Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans) have become identified with elaborate civic festivities leading up to Mardi Gras. 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 Mardi Gras and the Carnival season have a long, mixed history in the Catholic Church. January 6 , the Feast of the Epiphany and Christmas’ original gift-giving day, traditionally opened a series of parties, masked balls, and parades throughout Europe, which ended on “Fat Tuesday” (the English translation of the term). Mardi Gras 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 foods they would not enjoy until Easter. In England, the day has been celebrated with pancakes (which use eggs, Mardi Gras is the last day before Lenten fasts begin, so naturally it transformed into a huge party filled with pretty much every carnal desire you have. The next day is Ash Wednesday, which is the day Christians go to church and take part in the impartation of ashes. Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is a festive occasion that is celebrated in many parts of the world. The name Mardi Gras comes from the French phrase “Fat Tuesday,” which refers to the practice of eating rich, fatty foods before the start of Lent. Mardi Gras is typically celebrated with parades, parties, and other festive activities. Q: When and where do the Mardi Gras Indians parade? The Mardi Gras Indians only parade on Mardi Gras day and on Super Sunday (generally the 3rd Sunday closest to St. Joseph’s Day in March). The Mardi Gras day routes are not published anywhere, but they happen in and around their inner-city neighborhoods. When Does Mardi Gras End. In the United States, Mardi Gras typically falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. However, the exact date can vary depending on the year. In 2021, Mardi Gras will be on February 16. How Long Is Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is a French term meaning “Fat Tuesday”. The Latin root of the word Carnival is carne vale, which means “farewell to meat” — a reference to the upcoming 40-day fast of Lent that commences at midnight on Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday was named because it was a time of extravagant feasting of rich foods such as meat or pancakes before the upcoming fast. Residents of New Orleans have been celebrating Mardi Gras since the 18th century" ("Mardi Gras," Encarta). 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. Mardi Gras has religious roots, as it marks the last day before Lent in the Christian calendar, but today, it is also celebrated as a cultural and secular festival. 4. Do all Mardi Gras celebrations have parades? No, some places celebrate Mardi Gras with masquerade balls, street parties, and cultural events instead of large-scale parades. 5. Seasonal & Holidays Mardi Gras, Or Fat Tuesday, Kicks Off Lent: 5 Things To Know Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a carnival that marks a final day of indulgence before the holy observance of Lent Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday” in French, is a day to indulge in rich foods before the fasting of Lent. New Orleans bursts into a kaleidoscope of parades, costumes, and beads during its world-famous Mardi Gras celebrations. A mysterious African-American folk tradition in which maskers, in the guise of skeletons, bring the spirits of the dead to the streets on Mardi Gras. Their costumes have a homemade, do-it-yourself quality, consisting of black garb decorated with skeletal patterns and white aprons emblazoned with skull-and-crossbones imagery and scrawled
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |