Fat Tuesday

For most, Fat Tuesday conjures images of beads, beer, and the Big Easy, but the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans begins in Roman Catholic Europe. Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is a Christian holiday cum pop culture phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Also known as Carnival, it is celebrated in several nations across the globe predominantly those with large Roman Catholic populations on the day before the religious season of lent. When Christianity arrived in Rome religious leaders decided to incorporate some pagan traditions like the raucous Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia into the new faith a much easier task than abolishing them outright. As a result the debauchery and excess of Carnival season became a prelude to the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras spread from Rome across Europe where it then crossed the oceans to the colonies of the New World. In France the day before Ash Wednesday came to be known as Fat Tuesday because of the tradition of a pre-Lent feast of eggs, milk, cheese, and meat. Similarly, the world Carnival is thought to come from the Medieval Latin word carnelevarium meaning to take away or remove meat. Today Rio de Janeiro, Venice, and New Orleans host some of the most famous public festivities drawing millions of revelers each year.