like my bro and sis knew before i did, our news reporters, a lot of ppl at school? who invented it? i never herd of it before!
2007-02-20 15:40:34 · 9 answers · asked by Amanda(: 3 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
Mardi Gras is a French term that means "Fat Tuesday" but generally refers to a three day religious celebration that occurs immediately before Ash Wednesday. ...
2007-02-20 15:47:01 · answer #1 · answered by John G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is the day before Lent starts: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It's a day of penitence, to clean the soul, and a day of celebration as the last chance to feast before Lent begins.
Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them.
When a person receives absolution for their sins, they are forgiven for them and released from the guilt and pain that they have caused them.
Shrove Tuesday is a day of celebration as well as penitence, because it's the last day before Lent.
Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent.
In the old days there were many foods that observant Christians would not eat during Lent: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods.
So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the shriving Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off.
The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras ('fat Tuesday'). Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour.
2007-02-20 23:49:03 · answer #2 · answered by powerfulcurves 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is also called "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Day". Hope that helps
2007-02-20 23:44:41 · answer #3 · answered by sansan4828 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The French word for "Tuesday" is mardi, and the French word for "fat, rich" is gras. Thus, today is "Mardi Gras" with its feasting and carnivals - a final celebration before the penitential Lenten practices that begins tomorrow.
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2007-02-20 23:43:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's eat drink and be merry because Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, where you cover yourself with ashes and pray for forgiveness for the things you did the day before. It's a Catholic thing, I think. I don't really know, but I know it's a ridiculous excuse for getting drunk and stupid only to have to ask forgiveness tomorrow and I'll bet God doesn't like it much either.
2007-02-20 23:44:52 · answer #5 · answered by The Nana of Nana's 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pancakes
2007-02-20 23:47:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm from Louisiana, that's why I know more about it.
Mardi Gras is french for Fat Tuesday.
2007-02-20 23:45:26 · answer #7 · answered by RiverGirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
last day of lent i think?
2007-02-20 23:43:55 · answer #8 · answered by ma5he5sp90 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means nothing, it just is.
2007-02-20 23:43:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋