deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is on Tuesday, March 4 this year. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday.

Like Ash Wednesday and Easter, Mardi Gras’ date changes annually based on the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras will always fall on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is always about seven weeks before Easter.

What is Mardi Gras?

It is a day of gluttonous indulgence, reflecting the practice of the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods ahead of the long Christian season of Lent which is marked with fasting and abstinence.

The day is immediately followed by Ash Wednesday on March 5, which marks the start of the Lenten season, a 40-day period of reflection before the joyful celebration that is Easter.

What are some other names for Mardi Gras: Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, the end of Carnival. Mardi Gras has many names. Mardi Gras is also called Shrove Tuesday, stemming from the practice of “shriving,” or purifying oneself through confession before lent, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. And it is also referred to as “Carnival” which refers to the period of feasting that begins on Jan. 6 through Mardi Gras.

The day goes by other names as well. In south-central Pennsylvania, the day is called Fasnacht Day. In Europe, the day is dubbed Pancake Day.

Why is there a crown on the flag? It represents the King Cake.

King cake is also known as the Twelfth Day cake because it celebrates Epiphany, a Christian holiday that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus 12 days after Christmas. 

The cake is a cross between a coffee cake and a French pastry and traditionally contains a tiny plastic or porcelain baby figurine. Tradition calls on whoever finds the trinket in their slice of cake to host the next King cake gathering.

While one of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations is in New Orleans, Louisiana, the holiday is celebrated across the globe, from North America, to South America, Europe and Asia.