Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmär-dē-ˌgrä 

 in New Orleans commonly  -ˌgrȯ

1

a

: Shrove Tuesday often observed (as in New Orleans) with parades and festivities

b

: a carnival period climaxing on Shrove Tuesday

2

: a festive occasion resembling a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras

Examples of Mardi Gras in a Sentence

We're going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

It was a Mardi Gras to remember!

Recent Examples on the Web

That feeling got an extra boost from the fact that their shooting schedule aligned with Mardi Gras this year. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Excitement is on tap ahead of the opening of Epic Universe, with Universal Holidays Celebration kicking off this month followed by the return of Universal Mardi Gras in Feb. 2025. —Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2024

In The Quarter Shop For Special Books Get In The Spirit At Preservation Hall Attend A Spectacular Light Show Stroll Along Canal Street If Mardi Gras is New Orleans’ bread and butter, Christmas is the dessert. —Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024

Fairhope stages four Mardi Gras parades annually, including one for dogs, Mystic Mutts of Revelry. —Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fat Tuesday

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmärd-ē-ˌgrä 

: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday often observed with parades and merrymaking

Etymology

French, literally "fat Tuesday"

Word Origin

The Christian period of fasting known as Lent begins every year on Ash Wednesday. The day before Lent begins is a time of celebration and feasting in many places. One of the original reasons for such feasting was probably to use up the last supplies of foods, such as meat and fat, which were not eaten during Lent. The eating of such foods may be why the day became known in France as Mardi Gras, which means "fat Tuesday." It is also possible that the name comes from a former custom of parading a fattened ox through Paris on this day.