03/04/2025
Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is March 4, 2025.
Mardi Gras is a festival that takes place on “Fat Tuesday” and is celebrated in preparation for Lent. It’s a time of feasting, parades, and costumes.
Why is it celebrated:
*To mark the end of eating rich foods before Lent
*To celebrate the city’s French Catholic heritage
*To commemorate frivolity and sin
How is it celebrated:
*With parades, balls, costumes, music, and feasting
*By wearing masks to break down social barriers
*By throwing beads and other party favors into the crowds
Mardi Gras traditions:
*The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold
*The Mardi Gras Indians subculture combines West African, Afro-Caribbean, and Native American cultural practices
*The first televised Mardi Gras aired in 1949
History of Mardi Gras:
*The first Mardi Gras was celebrated in Alabama in 1699
*The Mistick Krewe of Comus held the first ball in 1857
*The Rex parade debuted the king of Mardi Gras in 1872