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.
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the French-language term for the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, a traditional day for eating rich foods made with sugar, butter and other fats, and meat.
This was because it was the last day before the start of Lent, which in Christian religious tradition was associated with ritual fasting. The term has come to stand for related celebrations, which in some areas take place for several days or even weeks before Ash Wednesday.
Spirituality