Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is the last day before the Christian fasting season of Lent, a forty day period of self-denial and abstinence from merrymaking. It is the French name for Shrove Tuesday. Literally translated, the term means "Fat Tuesday" and was so called because it represented the last opportunity for merrymaking and excessive indulgence in food and drink before the solemn season of fasting (day before Ash Wednesday). In the cities of some Roman Catholic countries, the custom of holding carnivals for Mardi Gras has continued since the Middle Ages.
The date of Mardi Gras varies from year to year. It can fall between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on the Catholic Church. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. Although Mardi Gras refers to a specific day, the term often encompasses a much longer period of celebrations leading up to it. The carnivals, with spectacular parades, masked balls, mock ceremonies, and street dancing, usually last for a week or more before Mardi Gras itself. Some of the most celebrated are held in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Nice and Cologne.
Return to Did you know | Next page
Mardi Gras is the last day before the Christian fasting season of Lent, a forty day period of self-denial and abstinence from merrymaking. It is the French name for Shrove Tuesday. Literally translated, the term means "Fat Tuesday" and was so called because it represented the last opportunity for merrymaking and excessive indulgence in food and drink before the solemn season of fasting (day before Ash Wednesday). In the cities of some Roman Catholic countries, the custom of holding carnivals for Mardi Gras has continued since the Middle Ages.
The date of Mardi Gras varies from year to year. It can fall between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on the Catholic Church. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. Although Mardi Gras refers to a specific day, the term often encompasses a much longer period of celebrations leading up to it. The carnivals, with spectacular parades, masked balls, mock ceremonies, and street dancing, usually last for a week or more before Mardi Gras itself. Some of the most celebrated are held in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Nice and Cologne.
Return to Did you know | Next page