The Origins and Significance of the Mardi Gras

Paper Summary:

"At its most basic, Mardi Gras (a corruption of the French words for "Fat Tuesday"), is a pre-Lenten festival celebrated in Roman Catholic countries and communities. Traditionally, Mardi Grove, or Shrove Tuesday, has been celebrated by the French as the last of the three days of Shrovetide and is a time of preparation immediately before Ash Wednesday and the start of the fast of Lent.

From the Paper:

"At its most basic, Mardi Gras (a corruption of the French words for "Fat Tuesday"), is a pre-Lenten festival celebrated in Roman Catholic countries and communities. Traditionally, Mardi Grove, or Shrove Tuesday, has been celebrated by the French as the last of the three days of Shrovetide and is a time of preparation immediately before Ash Wednesday and the start of the fast of Lent. As the last few days before Lent, the celebration afforded the last opportunity for merrymaking and indulgence in food and drink.

However, while the holiday is supposed to be confined to those three days only, in practice (and especially in the New World) Mardi Gras is generally celebrated for a full week before Lent and marked by spectacular parades featuring floats, pageants, elaborate costumes, masked balls, and dancing in the ..."

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