Mardi Gras Wyoming Style
Carnival, Shrove
Monday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Maslenitsa
"Mardi
Gras" (play /ˈmɑrdiɡrɑː/), "Mardi Gras season", and
"Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the
Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the
day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to
the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual
fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The day is
sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday, from the word shrive, meaning
"confess."[6] Related popular practices are associated with
celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the
penitential season of Lent.
Popular practices
include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing,
sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in
other European languages sharing the Christian tradition, as it is associated
with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins.
In many areas, the
term "Mardi Gras" has come to mean the whole period of activity
related to the celebratory events, beyond just the single day. In some US
cities, it is now called "Mardi Gras Day" or "Fat
Tuesday".[1][2][3][4][5] The festival season varies from city to city, as
some traditions consider Mardi Gras the entire period between Epiphany or
Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday.[7] Others treat the final three-day period
before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras.[8] In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi
Gras-associated social events begin in November, followed by mystic society
balls on Thanksgiving,[7][9] then New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls
in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday. In
earlier times parades were held on New Year's Day.[7] Other cities famous for
Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Barranquilla, Colombia;
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Quebec City, Canada; Mazatlán, Sinaloa,
Mexico; and New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
Carnival is an
important celebration in Anglican and Catholic European nations.[6] In the
United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called
"shrovetide", ending on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular
celebratory aspects as well. Pancakes are a traditional food. Pancakes and
related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat and eggs are also
traditionally consumed at this time in many parts of Latin America and the
Caribbean. -Wikipedia
