Mardi Gras in French means “Tuesday Fat.” Moving the adjective “fat” in front of the noun “Tuesday,” describes the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrove Tuesday, Shrovetide, or Fastelavn.) Mardi Gras thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. “Fat Tuesday” refers the last day of consuming rich, fatty foods, most notably red meat, in preparation for the Christian fasting season of Lent, during which such foods are avoided.]
Related popular practices are associated with bands, parades, elaborate costuming, face masks for privacy, and luscious food. Carnival celebrations, before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent, often gather large groups to share the fun.
In Countries such as the United Kingdom, Mardi Gras is more usually known as Pancake Day or (traditionally) Shrove Tuesday, derived from the word shrive, meaning “to administer the sacrament of confession to,” or “to absolve.”
Background
During the liturgical season of Lent, some Christians abstain from the consumption of certain foods such as meat, eggs, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages. Most Christian denominations observe the tradition of Lent; exceptions include many churches within the Anabaptist, Baptist, Methodist, and Reformed traditions. Shrovetide provided Christians with the opportunity to use up these foods prior to the start of the 40-day fasting season of Lent.