Mardi Gras 2011: It's Carnival Time on Fat Tuesday

by NowPublic Staff | March 7, 2011 at 09:13 am

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Mardi Gras 2011: Fat Tuesday March 8- Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

Mardi Gras 2011 takes place on March 8. Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday) is the last day before Lent begins; Lent kicks off with Ash Wednesday. (IHOP was early with Pancake Day)

While New Orleans is the epicenter for North American Mardi Gras parties ( the city pre-parties with Lundi Gras), celebrations will take place around the world. Carnival season has several variants: in Italy, for example, Carnevale lasts five days, culminating on "Fat Saturday". "Carnivale", by the way, is derived from the Latin term for "goodbye meat", referring to the things you give up for Lent.

What Is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras is a French Catholic tradition, hence its seat in New Orleans. Carnival itself takes many forms, such as Fasnacht in Germany and Carnival in Rio de Janiero. Sydney's Mardi Gras, and doesn't even take place on Fat Tuesday. What's now celebrated in street parties began as a series of big meals before a long fast.

All that partying has a purpose, though: Lent, which lasts from Ash Wednesday until the day before Easter, is a Christian period of fasting and penance. In other words, people use Mardi Gras to get all that vice out of their system. Those who don't observe Lent, however, just get a midweek party.