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

President Biden is visiting New Orleans on Monday to grieve with the families of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack on the same day the city marks the start of the Mardi Gras season. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 5 Jan. 2025

The first parade of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras was scheduled to take place Monday evening. —Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025

People cautiously trickled back into the French Quarter, live bands resumed playing at their usual corners and mourners stopped by a makeshift memorial adorned with flowers and Mardi Gras beads. —Natasha Frost, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025

These specific customs are no longer the main focus of Mardi Gras. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2025

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.