Top 10 Fat Tuesday Facts

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Fat Tuesday is one of the biggest get loose holidays in the United States. However, you probably don’t know too much about it other than you can get some beads. With that in mind, check out the top 10 Fat Tuesday facts.

10. Mardi Gras Beads Have Been a Tradition For a Long Time

Today, Mardi Gras and beads are nearly synonymous. In fact, throwing beads has been a tradition since the early 1900’s. Originally, they were first thrown by Santa during the parade.^[1]multi briefs – 10 fun facts about Mardi Gra However, despite its original family friendly version, only recently did Fat Tuesday beads become synonymous with flashing.

9. When is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras always takes places the last Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday, is a Catholic holiday that marks the beginning of Lent, a period of 40 days where Catholics fast before Easter. Mardi Gras is a type of last party for people to indulge in all of their favorite things before they have to give it up for Lent. In fact, in French, Mardi Gras actually means “Fat Tuesday”!^[2]New Orleans – ALL ABOUT MARDI GRA

8. Pancake Day

In places such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand people celebrate Mardi Gras by participating in pancake themed activities as well as consume a lot of pancakes.^[3]92.9 the Lake – 10 FUN MARDI GRA FACTS In these countries, one of the most interesting Fat Tuesday facts is that the day and pancakes are so linked that they day is actually known as “Pancake Day”!

7. Fat Tuesday Facts and King’s Cake

During Mardi Gras and the Carnival season, people traditionally eat a lot of King’s cake. The cake is named after the 3 kings, or wise men, in the baby Jesus story. Traditionally, in the United States, the cake is purple, green, and gold and hidden in the center is a little baby Jesus.^[4]History – 9 Things You May Not Know About Mardi Gra In fact, if you are the lucky one to have the baby Jesus in your slice, it is said that you will be blessed with luck all year!

6. Purple, Gold, and Green

As you may have already guessed, the official colors of Fat Tuesday are purple, gold, and green. These are the main colors that you will see when walking around Mardi Gras. However, each of these colors have a significant meaning. For example, purple stands for justice, gold represents power, and green symbolizes faith.^[5]Facts.net – Mardi Gra Facts

5. You Must Wear a Mask

One of the most interesting Fat Tuesday facts is that if you want to ride on a Mardi Gras float you must wear a mask. In fact, it is actually illegal to ride one without one! Originally, masks were required in order to help people get over the social constraints of the day. It allowed people to mingle with each other and get loose without fear.^[6]Pucker Mob – 10 Fun Facts about Mardi Gra

4. Krewes Run the Parades

Krewes are special organizations that actually run the Mari Gras parades and balls. They are special clubs that require members to pay anything from $20 to thousands of dollars each year to be part of. In addition, to running the Fat Tuesday parades, they are also responsible for selecting the Mardi Gras royalty, including “Rex”, the king of Mardi Gras.^[7]Iberia travel – FACTS ABOUT MARDI GRA

3. The Origin of New Orleans Mardi Gras

New Orleans is the most famous and largest Mardi Gras in the United States. In addition, it has been around for a very long time. In fact, one of the most interesting Fat Tuesday facts is that New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras since 1837 and has been having floats since 1857!^[8]CNN – Mardi Gra Fast Facts

2. Let the Good Times Roll

When celebrating Fat Tuesday, you will probably hear a lot of people saying “laissez les bon temps rouler” (pronounced lay-say le bon tom roo-lay).^[9]Country Living – 18 Things You Didn’t Know About Mardi Gra This is in fact the official greeting of Mardi Gras. In Cajun French it actually means “let the good times roll”.

1. State Holiday

An interesting Fat Tuesday fact is that it is not just a religious holiday. In fact, in some states, it is actually an official state holiday! For example, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana officially recognize Mardi Gras. In fact, the oldest and currently 2^nd largest Mardi Gras celebration is held in Alabama!^[10]US 105 – 10 FUN FACTS ABOUT MARDI GRA