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Why Do We Celebrate Mardi Gras? The celebration of Mardi Gras has evolved over the centuries, but at its core, it remains a celebration of life, community, and indulgence . Originally rooted in religious traditions, Mardi Gras serves as a final opportunity to enjoy rich foods, drink, and revelry before the fasting and solemnity of Lent. 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 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] Everything you need to know about Mardi Gras 2025, including why it's celebrated, when Fat Tuesday 2025 takes place and more. The colors of Mardi Gras were selected by the Krewe of Rex in 1872. Purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power. King Cake Only eaten during Mardi Gras, King cakes are a cross between a French pastry and a coffee cake, topped with icing and sugar in the Mardi Gras colors. What is Mardi Gras and why do we celebrate it? Did you know that Mardi Gras is actually a religious holiday? 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. Today, the city still goes all out for Mardi Gras with a parade, balls, and elaborate costumes. Mardi Gras remains a big part of the culture in Mobile, Alabama, where two organizations oversee Why is Mardi Gras celebrated? Mardi Gras is celebrated in many countries around the world, though mainly in places with large Roman Catholic populations. It's believed that Mardi Gras emerged from the wild ancient Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. These pagan celebrations involved days of feasting, masquerading, dancing, and drinking. What does Mardi Gras mean? In French, Mardi means “Tuesday” and gras means “fat.” That’s why the day is also referred to as Fat Tuesday. The word originated in France and was what people used to describe the day before Ash Wednesday, when they would binge on rich foods such as meat, eggs, milk, and cheese before Lent began. The celebration has its roots in medieval Europe. By the 1850s, a group of men in New Orleans established a secret society to help celebrate the holiday, and the city’s first Mardi Gras Krewe Mardi Gras has pagan roots and it is no wonder that we see a lot of its negative consequences. If it is of God, it should edify us more. But as you have already observed, Mardi Gras brings us farther from God. The Bible gave us a stern warning if we still choose to celebrate Mardi Gras after knowing the truth. We read in Galatians 5:19-21: 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. Whether you’re in New Orleans or far away, you can still celebrate Mardi Gras at home. You can make your own decorations and start family traditions, bringing the magic of Mardi Gras to your home. Creating a Mardi Gras party for your family can turn your home into a carnival. You can bake a king cake, make masks, or have a backyard parade. What Does Mardi Gras Have to Do With Jesus? Mardi Gras connects to Jesus through its roots in Christian traditions, marking a time of indulgence before Lent . You celebrate by enjoying rich foods and festive gatherings, reflecting the joy of community and fellowship. SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE MARDI GRAS? by Shawn Brasseaux Should we as Christians celebrate Mardi Gras? Firstly, we need to define what “Mardi Gras” is, and then we need to search the Scriptures to see whether or not such a holiday is Biblical. As always, my goal is not to attack or condemn anyone, but to Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is a vibrant celebration filled with parades, music, and colorful costumes. But what exactly is Mardi Gras, and why is it celebrated? Mardi Gras marks the last day before Lent, a period of fasting and reflection for many “Le soir de Mardi gras, il faut danser sur les fumiers pour avoir des navets.” (On Mardi Gras night, you must dance on the manure to get turnips..) “Mardi gras sous la pluie, l’hiver s’enfuit.” (Mardi Gras is in the rain; winter is running away.) “Quand Mardi gras est là alors enlevez vos balances et faites vos crêpes.” Why do we celebrate Mardi Gras? One reason is its cultural significance. Mardi Gras has deep historical roots that trace back to ancient Rome and medieval Europe, which you can learn more about in this article about the origins of Mardi Gras . “There are lots of questions—I think open questions—about the prehistory of the organizations we know as Mardi Gras Indians that take us all the way back, potentially, into the 16th century Still, I wondered about Shrove Tuesday. So off I went into Mardi Gras, held on the day before Ash Wednesday (aka Shrove Tuesday), and generally observed by lots of pigging out, indulging, and revelling. I’ve never been a big fan of Mardi Gras as it reminds me of Halloween and, in fact, for many years that’s when I thought Mardi Gras fell.
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