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 a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Also known as Carnival or Carnaval, it’s celebrated in 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. In places like New Orleans, Mardi Gras is not just a holiday; it is a celebration of the city’s unique cultural heritage. New Orleans has long been a melting pot of different cultures, including French, Spanish, African, and Creole influences. Mardi Gras reflects this diversity through its music, food, art, and traditions. Mardi Gras comes to a close on Tuesday night, and soon, those who celebrate will exclaim “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll” for the last time this Carnival season. The Mardi Gras holiday is tied to Easter, because Easter marks the end of Lent. And since the date of Easter is determined by the first full moon after the spring equinox, it changes each year, shifting the date of Mardi Gras, too. Also good to know: the Mardi Gras season actually begins in January, with the start of Carnival. In 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 celebrations in the United States are often associated with the parades and parties of New Orleans, Louisiana, but the holiday has been celebrated around the world for hundreds of years Mardi Gras is Carnival's grand finale and is the day that ends the festive season. What do the Mardi Gras colors represent? According to Mardi Gras New Orleans, the holiday's colors have a meaning What does Mardi Gras mean? Translated to English, "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday." Mardi is the French word for Tuesday, and gras means "fat." This name comes from the custom of eating all the fatty, rich foods in the house prior to Lent in order to prepare for fasting and abstinence. So, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. A decade later in 1837, the first Mardi Gras street parade was recorded and remains a yearly occurrence to this day. Now, Louisiana is the only state that recognizes Mardi Gras as a legal holiday, although other states like Alabama and Mississippi have their own elaborate Carnival festivities. How is Mardi Gras celebrated? The first Mardi Gras celebration in America was celebrated in 1703 in the settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile. Mardi Gras was celebrated soon after the city of New Orleans was founded in 1718 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 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 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 was celebrated soon after the city of New Orleans was founded in 1718, but was briefly banned when the Spanish took control of New Orleans until Louisiana became a U.S. state in 1812 The beginning of March launches the first of several holidays and traditions with Roman Catholic roots: Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent and St. Patrick’s Day. The all-male krewe has been staging Mardi Gras events in New Orleans since 1872 and are the ones who started the tradition of using the holiday’s famous colors: yellow, purple, and green. As with many Christian holidays, the celebrations of Carnival and Mardi Gras were probably adapted in some way from pagan festivals. It may be rooted in a primitive festival celebrating the rebirth of nature; in Italy, it may be linked to the pagan Saturnalian festival of ancient Rome.[#1782] 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.
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