What Is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras—French for "Fat Tuesday"—is a time of colorful, decadent, and delightfully hectic celebrations that peak on the day before Ash Wednesday, which begins the pre-Easter season of Lent for many Christians. The Carnival season kicks off on January 6 each year, which is Kings’s Day (otherwise known as the Feast of the Epiphany in Christianity, or Three King’s Day), and always ends on Fat Tuesday (otherwise known as Mardi Gras Day, Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday). But the bulk of Mardi Gras celebrations typically last about two weeks, which is when New Orleans schedules the lion’s share of parades and other events. In 2021, Fat Tuesday is on February 16.