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| Fat Tuesday | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fat Tuesday |
| Native name | Mardi Gras |
| Nickname | Shrove Tuesday |
| Observed by | Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Methodism, Lutheranism, Eastern Catholic Churches |
| Significance | Last day before Lent; feast and celebration |
| Date | Day before Ash Wednesday |
| Frequency | Annual |
Fat Tuesday is the common English name for the pre-Lenten feast known widely as Mardi Gras and traditionally observed with feasting, processions, and ritual blessings. Rooted in medieval European practice, the day has evolved through intersections with Roman Catholic Church liturgy, Anglican Communion reforms, and colonial exchanges that produced distinctive public carnivals in cities such as New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and Venice. The celebration influences popular culture, tourism, and seasonal calendars across the United States, France, Brazil, and parts of Europe and Caribbean islands.
The English term derives from a translation of Mardi Gras from French language sources connected to Normandy and Île-de-France courts, paralleling the ecclesiastical usage of Shrove Tuesday in England and the liturgical term Quinquagesima used historically in Latin liturgy. Variants such as Martedì Grasso in Italian language and Dydd Mawrth Wythnos in Welsh language reflect localized forms; similar designations appear in Spain (Carnaval) and the Philippines (Araw ng Carne). Influences from Gregorian calendar reforms and translations by figures in Anglican Church history shaped naming conventions.
The festival traces to medieval practices in Rome and medieval Christianity with links to pre-Christian carnivals in Ancient Rome and Saturnalia, adapted by clerics in Pope Gregory I’s and later Pope Gregory XIII’s eras. During the Middle Ages, monastic communities tied the feast to confession and absolution influenced by Thomas Aquinas and local bishops. Early modern expansions occurred via maritime republics such as Venice and colonial networks involving Spain, Portugal, and France, bringing customs to New France and New Spain. The modern urban spectacle developed alongside 19th-century municipal celebrations in Paris, Nice, and colonial port cities like New Orleans under the influence of families and social clubs including Krewes of New Orleans and civic institutions.
Typical observances include consumption of rich foods such as pancakes and beignets, ritual confession in Roman Catholic Church parishes, street processions with floats designed by craft guilds, and costume balls run by private societies such as the Krewe of Rex. Procession elements often reference historical figures like Bacchus (mythology), mythic archetypes from Commedia dell'arte, and local heroes commemorated by civic bodies. Rituals blend liturgical elements from Ash Wednesday preparation with secular pageantry devised by cultural producers including theater companies, carnival societies, and municipal tourism boards.
Variations range from the masked balls of Venice Carnival and the masquerade traditions of Nice Carnival to the samba parades of Rio Carnival and the float processions of New Orleans Carnival. Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados integrate calypso and steelpan ensembles, while Quebec City celebrates with winter carnivals combining Fête nationale traditions. In Spain and Canary Islands processions incorporate medieval confraternities; in Germany and Austria the day intersects with Fasching and Karneval customs that include guild-like clubs and civic satire performed by troupes linked to theaters and municipal councils.
Within Roman Catholic Church practice the day functions as the final opportunity for sacramental confession and celebratory feasting before observance of Lent, the forty-day penitential season codified in councils such as Council of Trent. Anglican parishes and Methodist Church communities mark the day with liturgies derived from Book of Common Prayer and pastoral directives from bishops. Eastern rites in Eastern Orthodox Church calendars follow similar preparatory fasts tied to local synodal decisions and monastic rules influenced by figures like Saint Benedict and John Chrysostom.
Fat Tuesday and its equivalents have been represented in literature, film, music, and visual art—from depictions in works by Victor Hugo and Henri Matisse to cinematic portrayals in films set in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro produced by studios such as Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Musicians across genres—from Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman to Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso—have tied repertoires to carnival rhythms. Television series, novels, and newspapers report annually on economic impacts in cities like New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, with coverage by outlets including The New York Times and BBC News shaping international perceptions. Academic studies in journals of anthropology and history examine intersections with colonialism, urban sociology, and festival economies.
The day occurs immediately before Ash Wednesday and is calendar-dependent, influenced by calculations tied to Easter determined by the Computus method established by ecumenical councils. Related observances include the preceding carnival season, culminating in events such as Carnival of Venice, Rio Carnival, and municipal celebrations like the Mardi Gras Indian parades and regional festivals synchronized with civic calendars and tourism seasons in countries including France, Brazil, United States, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Category:Christian holy days