Why is it called Fat Tuesday? Significance and origins of Mardi Gras explored

Thousands of Christians across the world are hyped-up to celebrate the centuries-old tradition of Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) on March 1. The Carnival celebration is also known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday and is celebrated in multiple countries like the US, UK, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Sweden, amongst others.

This cultural event practically refers to Christian feasts before the fasting period of the Lenten sacrifices or Lent season begins. Mardi Gras' and its rituals vary by location. It is also known by several alternative names in other countries.

For instance, the festival is called Masopust in the Czech Republic, while Germans call it Faschingsdienstag or Veilchendienstag. Similarly, Italy calls it Martedì Grasso, and Sweden termed it Fettisdagen.

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Origin of the name Fat Tuesday - What is Mardi Gras?

The name "Mardi Gras" is of French origin, which, when translated to English, becomes "Fat Tuesday." Furthermore, the nature of the event's festivities can explain the name's origin.

The 'fat' in the name refers to the consumption of savory and fatty foods during the festival, before these food items are forbidden. Christians traditionally abstain from eating meat during the Lent season, a 40-day period of abstinence and sacrifice with selective fasting.

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Fat Tuesday in the USA

While Mardi Gras is popular in many countries, where it is known by its locally interpreted names, "Fat Tuesday" is mostly exclusive to the US. The celebration or carnival came to North America with French settlers in the late 17th Century (1699).

Although in North America, the carnival is celebrated with the most enthusiasm by the people of Louisiana, the tradition was first celebrated in Alabama. However, Louisiana remains the only US state to have declared this event a national holiday.

According to Kron4, a group of students would shape the iconic Mardi Gras celebrations of New Orleans in 1827. The students were reportedly inspired by the French celebration of the event. At the time, the group masqueraded and celebrated Mardi Gras, which spread to the entire city within a decade. In 1837, the city reportedly had its first "Fat Tuesday" celebration, which eventually turned into a massive carnival with parades and costumes, as seen nowadays.

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The celebration of Mardi Gras has been historically canceled multiple times, including the last two years amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mardi Gras was canceled during the Civil War, yellow fever outbreak in the 1870s, and the World Wars.