Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French
This year Mardi Gras is Feb. 21, 2012
Carnival celebrations start on the Feast of Epiphany and the celebrations increase until Mardi Gras and stop at midnight just before Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter
Mardi Gras is also known as Shrove Tuesday
Mardi Gras is celebrated with carnivals that usually consist of costumes and elaborate masks, parades, dancing and partying in the streets and elaborate balls and parties where the Mardi Gras King, Queen and other Royalty are announced for the year
In New Orleans, King cakes, are a popular item at Mardi Gras parties and are decorated in purple, green and gold—representing justice, faith and power. The King Cake is baked with a small plastic baby hidden inside, the person who gets the piece of cake with the baby has to host the next party where the King, Queen and other Royalty are announced for the year.
In February, the ancient Romans celebrated a festival much like Mardi Gras, called Lupercalia, honoring the Roman deity, Lupercus
When Christianity arrived in Rome, the early Church decided to incorporate certain aspects of the Lupercalia festival rituals into the new beliefs. The Christian Carnival became a time of abandonment and merriment before Lent the preparation of Christians before Easter (including fasting, prayer, meditation and self-denial to reflect on Christ and his sacrifice)
Some of the more famous Mardi Gras festivals are held in New Orleans (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Nice (France), Cologne (Germany) and Venice (Italy)
Please feel free to add any additional interesting facts about Mardi Gras.
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