Define Mardi Gras

As Mardi Gras is set to start again in New Orleans, many of you mmay wonder about the origins and meaning of this raucous Louisiana tradition. Here is a brief explanation, as provided in the link below that gives much more detail.

Mardi Gras is the carnival season that begins right after the Epiphany, and ends the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras translates literally as Fat Tuesday, another common name for the celebration that is a huge tourist attraction every year for New Orleans. In the years since Hurricane Katrina, at first there were doubts about whether Mardi Gras could keep going strong, but now it has become a huge event again with people traveling from far and wide and contributing much needed money to the still recovering city.

Define Mardi Gras
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The terms "Mardi Gras" (pronounced /ˈmɑrdi grɑː/, "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season" in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Epiphany and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which started on Ash Wednesday. Related popular practices were associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. Popular practices included wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc...


Define Mardi Gras