Mardi Gras

About Mardi Gras:
Also known as "Fat Tuesday," this Pre-Lent festival is celebrated in Roman Catholic countries and communities all over the world. In a strict sense, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, is 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. Mardi Gras is thus, the last opportunity for merrymaking and indulgence in food and drink. In practice, the festival is generally celebrated for one full week before Lent.

Mardi Gras is marked by spectacular parades featuring floats, pageants, elaborate costumes, masked balls, and people dancing in the streets. Some cities that celebrate this fun carnival have mystical societies that build colorful floats, have masked balls, and activities for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public. A well known tradition of Mardi Gras is the Kind Cake. Hidden in each oblong of braided coffee-cake dough is a bean or plastic baby; custom dictates that whoever finds it must give the next King cake party. And on Mardi Gras organization even uses a King cake tradition to choose the queen of its annual ball.

Some of the most famous cities are New Orleans, Louisiana, Mobile, Alabama, and Sydney, Australia.
The first American Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans on March 3, 1699.
The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. These colors represent justice, faith and power.
The date Mardi Gras falls on depends on the date of Easter, therfore always occurring 46 days before Easter.