Mardi Gras this year took place on Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, and the Mardi Gras season began on Monday, January 6th, 2025. Mardi Gras has many names such as Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and Pancake Tuesday. All of the nicknames for the holiday are used often.
Mardi Gras originated from medieval times where the French, and even some Italian communities would count down till Lent. Historians believe that during those times they would parade with an animal like an Ox or some type of animal, slaughter it and then have a feast.
Shrove Tuesday takes place on the final day of Carnival, so it falls on the day before the beginning of Lent which is Ash Wednesday. You may think that Mardi Gras is a religious holiday, and only one but some have analyzed that Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan spring. This is speculation for historians but the holiday can be celebrated religiously, and as it is one of the world’s most colorful and vibrant festival-based holidays including things like party-like parades, costumes, lively music, and lastly a lot of feasting over special dishes for Mardi Gras.
As for the special dishes, some known dishes include king cake, beignets, red beans with rice, jambalaya, muffuletta, and seafood gumbo. King cake is especially popular for the tiny baby inside the cake. Whoever finds it buys the next year’s king cake, but also will be prosperous over the next year. These are some dishes you would find in a traditional Mardi Gras feast in New Orleans. That’s not all of the dishes you might see but here are some you might find internationally. In France some other things you would see are crêpes, gaufres, and beignets which you make by using the remaining eggs, and butter before Lent begins.
Most Lively students that answered the form on Mardi Gras didn’t celebrate it but said, “It’s a parade festival most of the time held in New Orleans,” said 8th grader Bonita Maldonado. Another student celebrates by, “Me and my family wear masks during Mardi Gras. I like the colorful spirit of the holiday,” said 8th grader Jonah Butler.
As for teachers, many of them had prior knowledge of Mardi Gras, but don’t celebrate it. For example, Andres Nava, US History/Model UN teacher said, “Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) is a celebration before the Catholic Lent Season.” Another teacher knew that, “I know it’s the last big feast/party day before Lent begins, and there is SO much celebration around this day. There are parades, amazing food, music and all sorts of parties to attend,” said Sheri Guess, a teacher of English for Speakers of Other Languages.
Whether or not you celebrate, Mardi Gras is all about partying, and togetherness.
