Mardi Gras is February 25th and people around the world will be indulging, whether they honor the forty days of Lent or not. Here we’ve compiled ten fun facts you might not know about Mardi Gras.
1. “Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French. With Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of Lent, a 40 day period of fasting before Easter, Mardi Gras is the "last hurrah" of sorts, with participants indulging in their favorite fatty foods and drinks before giving them up.”
2. “Another name for Mardi Gras is "Shrove Tuesday." The word "shrove" comes from the "shrive," which means "to confess." Going to confession is an unofficial practice of Catholics to prior to starting the 40-day spiritual journey of Lent.”
3. “Mobile, Alabama, was the first place in the United States to celebrate Mardi Gras, and now holds one of the largest celebrations after New Orleans.”
4. “The first Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans was held in 1838.”
5. “In New Orleans, carnival season begins on Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day. Many smaller parades are hosted leading up to the 12-day parading period. But the last five days make up the main weekend (from Thursday night until the morning of fat Tuesday) when the largest parades run back-to-back.”
6. “Legend has it in the 1880s, a man dressed like Santa Claus received such fame throwing beads, that other krewes followed suit. Makes sense, seeing before that, krewes threw any manner of items, including food and dirt. Today krewes buy plastic beads en masse which parade-goers prefer over dirt! Locals still love to see throws of tiny glass bead strands, which are rare and seemed to have phased out in the 1960s and 1970s.”
7. “Some countries celebrate Mardi Gras as ‘Pancake Day', and indulge in eating pancakes. Ireland, Australia, England, Canada and New Zealand celebrate Pancake Day.”
8. “It just wouldn't be Fat Tuesday without all those purple, green and gold beads, costumes and decorations. How these colors became symbolic with the festival goes back to 1872 when Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff paid a visit to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The duke was named honorary king of the parade and with that royal visit the Romanoff house colors — purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power — became the official colors for Mardi Gras.”
9. “One of the most coveted trinkets to catch is a golden coconut thrown during the Zulu parade.”
10. “It’s not just a tradition—it’s the law! Everyone on the float must wear a mask or paint their face. The practice was originally started to encourage people to mingle and talk to those outside of your social circle.”
