Mardi Gras is the last day of Carnival and is the culmination of the Carnival season. For many, Mardi Gras is one last chance to indulge before starting Lenten abstinence. Eating, drinking, dancing, parades, and Masquerade balls characterize Mardi Gras celebrations. Revelers know however, no matter how much fun they are having, come midnight, Lent begins and it is time to sober up.

Mardi Gras is always observed on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The word Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. It is called Fat Tuesday, since traditionally, it was a day to finish up all the butter, eggs, and milk left in the house. Often donuts, cakes, or pancakes are eaten. Because of this, the holiday is sometimes referred to as Pancake Day. The term Shrove Tuesday derives from the Catholic tradition of confessing ones sins and being absolved or "shriven" at the beginning of Lent. In some areas in which Carnival is observed, such as New Orleans, the term Mardi Gras is used to refer to the entire Carnival season, as well as the last day.

Many countries in Europe celebrate some form of Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday. These include England, France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Norway, and Sweden. European colonists brought the custom to North America. Mardi Gras is typically (but not exclusively) celebrated in those areas in the US and Canada with a strong French influence. Mardi Gras and Carnival are also celebrated in some of the coastal areas of Mexico.

The largest Mardi Gras celebration in North America is held in New Orleans. A million people participate in the celebration. The New Orleans Mardi Gras season actually starts two weeks before Mardi Gras. During this two-week period, Masquerade balls are held, and parades are a daily occurrence. Many parades feature costumed "Krew" members who ride on floats and toss small gifts, called throws, to the crowds. These throws include costume jewelry, beads called bonbons, and fake Spanish doubloons. On Mardi Gras Day, two traditional parades are held. A daytime parade dedicated to Rex the King of Carnival and Monarch of Merriment, and in the evening a parade is dedicated to Comus God of Revelry. Traditional Mardi Gras music in New Orleans includes Jazz, and Cajun.

Many other cities in the Southern US also hold Mardi Gras or Carnival Celebrations. Two of the larger ones include Mobile, Alabama (which brags the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the US) and Galveston, Texas.

In contrast to revelry in the Southern US, the Pennsylvania Dutch observe the day before Lent as Shrove Tuesday. It is considered a religious holiday, and everyone has a day off from work. A special cake called fasnacht is eaten. It is believed if fasnacht is fed to hens, it will protect their chicks from hawks. Another Shrove Tuesday tradition holds that if a single person throws a fasnacht to a rooster and the rooster eats it without calling his hens, that person will be single for the year. However, if the rooster calls his hens, that person will be married in the coming year. Some housewives believe it is bad luck to sew on this day. According to the superstition, sewing will cause their house to be infested by snakes in the summer. If a dance is held on Shrove Tuesday, the higher the dancers feet go, the better the crops will be for the dance's host that year.

In England, the observance is called Pancake Day. On this day, some communities hold Pancake Races. In the race, women must carry a pancake in a hot frying pan from the starting line to the church door. During the race the pancake must be flipped three times. The first woman to deliver a pancake to the bell ringer at the church door receives a kiss and is declared Pancake Champion for the year. Traditional dress for the race includes an apron, and a hat. The most attended pancake race in England is held at Olney in Buckingshire. The towns of Bodiam in Sussex, and North Somercote in Lincolnshire also hold popular races.

Note: This holiday is one of Calendar Mine's over 500 built-in observances.

See Also

Holiday Catalogue

American (USA) Observances