Mardi Gras

[ mahr-dee grah ]

noun

1. the day before Lent, celebrated in some cities, such as New Orleans and Paris, as a day of revelry and merrymaking. Fat Tuesday ( def ), Shrove Tuesday ( def ).
2. a pre-Lenten carnival period climaxing on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras

/ ˈmɑːdɪ ˈɡrɑː /

noun

1. the festival of Shrove Tuesday, celebrated in some cities with great revelry

Mardi Gras

1. An annual festival held in France on the day before Ash Wednesday , the first day of Lent . Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” — meaning it is the last opportunity to eat rich food before the fast of Lent begins. It is related to celebrations elsewhere, called “carnivals,” from the Latin words carne and vale , “meat” and “farewell,” meaning a farewell to meat before the abstinence of Lent.

Notes

New Orleans , Louisiana , is famous for its Mardi Gras celebration, as is Rio de Janeiro , Brazil .

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mardi Gras¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; from French: literally, “fat Tuesday”; mardi “Tuesday,” Old French marsdi, from Latin diēs Mārtis, Mārtis diēs “day of Mars” ( dismal ( def ), martial ( def ) ); gras “fat,” from Latin grassus “fat, thick”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mardi Gras¹

French: fat Tuesday

Example Sentences

Princess Tiana, now a restaurateur, is throwing a Mardi Gras party, and we need to get there at once.

From Los Angeles Times

Set in New Orleans, it references slave plantations, segregation, Hurricane Katrina and police brutality, while simultaneously celebrating southern culture - from Mardi Gras and step-dancing to black cowboys and marching bands.

From BBC

Their romance has inspired a Mardi Gras float, been referenced in Australia's education syllabus, and even featured in the Netflix series Atypical.

From BBC

Her parents were big participants in Mobile Mardi Gras, each in a parading organization — her mom a Polka Dot, her dad a Striper — and they brought the party to the Island most every weekend.

From Salon

These pieces provide an insider’s view of the city’s legendary Mardi Gras Indians, as well as Mississippi’s Free Southern Theater during the Black Arts movement.

From New York Times