Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the French name for Shrove Tuesday and marks the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. It is a celebration where Christians would use up foods like eggs and meat before the fasting period of Lent by making pancakes, cakes, and other fatty foods. Carnaval has the same meaning and origin, coming from the Italian phrase "carne vale" meaning goodbye to flesh, and is celebrated on the same day as Mardi Gras with costumes, makeup, and eating nice foods.
2. What does Mardi Gras
mean?
Mard Tuesday
i
Gras Fat
So the meaning is 束Fat Tuesday損 ! Indeed, Mardi Gras is the
French for 束 Shrove Tuesday損 . It has the same meaning,
and the same religious origins.
Its always on the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, which is the
start of Lent ( Car棚me in French ). So Christians were not
supposed to eat any meat and eggs during the 40 days of Lent,
ending on Easter. Thats why on Shrove Tuesday, we eat a lot of
really good ( and fat ! ) food like cr棚pes, cakes, pancakes
because we need to be good during Lent.
3. And what about
束Carnaval損?
束Carnaval損 comes from the Italian word
束carne vale損 meaning goodbye to the
flesh, so this is related to Mardi Gras.
Thats why we celebrate both on the same
day in France. We dress up in costumes,
put make up on, and eat lots of nice food.
