What is Mardi Gras?
(NewsNation) — “Mardi Gras,” “Fat Tuesday” in French, is a celebration before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period of prayer and fasting for Christians.
The celebration began in medieval Europe in Rome and Venice, passing through France in the 17th and 18th centuries and making its way to the colonies.
Mardi Gras is celebrated in different ways around the world. Some traditions include indulging in special sweets, dressing up for parades and dancing for Carnival in Latin America and wearing masks and attending balls in Venice, Italy.
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Members of the Lucha Krewe perform as the Krewe of Druids Mardi Gras parade rolls through New Orleans, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The countdown to Mardi Gras begins Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in New Orleans as Carnival season kicks off with dozens of costumed revelers and a brass band set to crowd onto a streetcar for the Phunny Phorty Phellows’ nighttime ride down historic St. Charles Avenue. Meanwhile, a walking club in the French Quarter will march in its annual procession honoring Joan of Arc. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
In the United States, the most famous Mardi Gras celebration takes place in New Orleans. Although the season known as Carnival technically extends until Ash Wednesday, the celebrations culminate in the last two weeks before Lent begins.
According to the city of New Orleans, in the 1740s, the governor of Louisiana began holding elegant society balls, and by the 1870s, the first parades began.
What is a king cake?
The tradition of Mardi Gras and king cake go hand in hand, especially in New Orleans. According to the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the king cake tradition was brought to the United States by the French in the late 19th century.
Mardi Gras King Cakes by pastry chef Jean-Luc Albin at Maurice French Pastries are displayed on Feb. 10, 2011, in Metairie, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File
A king cake is oval, the shape of a crown, and contains a plastic baby to symbolize the baby Jesus. The tradition is rooted in the Catholic feast of the Epiphany, when the three kings visited the infant Jesus after his birth. The celebration of the Epiphany kicks off the Carnival season.
Today, Louisiana residents still eat king cake, usually decorated with green, gold and purple frosting, symbolizing faith, justice and power.
What is a pączki?
A pączki is a traditional Polish pastry that is fried and filled with fruit, cream or chocolate. The treat is eaten on Mardi Gras as part of the pre-Lenten celebration.
A bakery sells donuts a day ahead of Fat Thursday. Krakow, Poland on February 16, 2023. Fat Thursday is a traditional Catholic Christian feast on the last Thursday before Lent. It symbolizes the celebration of Carnival. The most popular dish served on that day in Poland are ‘paczki’ – fist-sized donuts filled with marmalade. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In Chicago, which has the largest Polish population in the United States, bakeries produce the pastries ahead of Mardi Gras and often sell out as the tradition has become widespread in American culture.
What are zeppole?
Zeppole are Italian donuts eaten on various holidays, including on St. Joseph’s Day and during the Carnival season ahead of Lent.
What is a fastnachtskrapfen?
Germany has its own unique Mardi Gras traditions, including eating a German donut known as a fastnachtskrapfen. According to the U.S. Army, which has over 40 military bases in Germany, Fasching is a pre-Lenten celebration like Mardi Gras or Carnival.
Germans celebrate with balls and parades, pranks, and special foods, including donuts, red wine cake, goulash and much more.
Carnival in Latin America
The Carnival season is celebrated all over Latin America with parades, costumes, music and dancing. The Carnival festivities were brought to the continent by Europeans during the colonial period and became a mix of European and indigenous traditions.
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