One of the most joyous and colorful celebrations in the entire United States has arrived! This Tuesday, February 21, the American Union commemorates Mardi Gras with a series of colorful carnivals, where purple, green and gold stand out.
The Colors of Mardi Gras
The purple color represents justice, green faith, and gold power. In addition to the representative and joyful carnivals, Mardi Gras is also the perfect day to eat as much fat as possible, as it marks the beginning of Lent.
Origin and Meaning of Fat Tuesday
‘Mardi Gras’ means ‘Fat Tuesday’ in French. The roots of the festivity as such are merely religious. The first time that Mardi Gras was celebrated was in the 17th century when a whole series of carnivals and celebrations that began on January 6 were terminated to make way for Ash Wednesday.
The celebration of Mardi Gras was also called known as ‘Shrove Tuesday’ because of its proximity to the aforementioned Holy Day, which begins the six-week period of penance before Easter. For this reason, Mardi Gras is also called ‘Fat Tuesday’ since, being the beginning of Lent, you tend to eat as much fat as possible before deprivation of certain foods arrives.
Pancakes and Mardi Gras
One of the most common ways to celebrate Fat Tuesday is by eating pancakes due to the idea of ingesting as much fat as possible. This idea of consuming as much fat as possible curiously led to the creation of National Pancake Day.
Don’t miss out on the vibrant Mardi Gras celebrations happening in cities across the United States with all of its history and meaning. Happy Fat Tuesday!