Little Known Mardi Gras Trivia

Mardi Gras 2011 is upon us! While you might know quite a bit about the celebration, including its French origins, its traditional purple, green and gold colors, and pancakes and King Cake, there's still a plethora of Mardi Gras trivia that you might not be aware of. Dazzle and stump your friends with this Fat Tuesday trivia today.

Is there a theme song or music associated with Fat Tuesday?

The New Orleans theme song for the Mardi Gras parade is "If I Ever Cease to Love." The song was composed and sung originally in England in the late 1800s by George Leybourne of Newcastle (where, you may know, they are also famous in America for their beer).

Is Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday/Carnival the same as Shrove Tuesday?

Mardi Gras certainly comes with many names, including Fat Tuesday and Shrove Tuesday. Shrove comes from the word shrive, which means to confess or to hear confessions. You'll commonly hear the celebration called Shrove Tuesday in Catholic circles. Whichever the name, the date is the same-the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of the Lenten season.

Why do people eat pancakes on the day before Lent begins?

Pancakes are the traditional Mardi Gras dinner in many parts of the world, but since the fasting and abstaining typically begins on Ash Wednesday, why not eat meat (which many abstain from on certain days during Lent, including Ash Wednesday)? The tradition of eating pancakes on Fat Tuesday started in order to use up dairy products and fat before the fasting began the next day.

Is Mardi Gras more than just one day long?

While people typically refer to Mardi Gras as one day, the Tuesday when Mardi Gras is celebrated is actually just one day of a longer celebration. In fact, Mardi Gras is a season. It begins on the Epiphany (Jan. 6) and ends on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. It coincides with the season of Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church.

What's the deal with the Mardi Gras floats?

The large and ornate floats you'll associate with Mardi Gras have been a part of the celebration's history since its early days in the United States. Parades didn't enter the picture until the 1800s, and at that time, the floats were still made in France. It wasn't until 1871 that the floats were all constructed locally.

Incidentally, this was the same year the Mardi Gras theme song was written in England.

Mardi Gras 2011 is here--take your new-found knowledge, head out, and enjoy it!

Sources:

Mardi Gras New Orleans; http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history.html

NOLA.com; http://blog.nola.com/anguslind/2009/02/if_ever_i_cease_to_love_is_syn.html

American Catholic; http://www.americancatholic.org/features/mardigras/

Holidays.net; http://www.holidays.net/mardigras/story2.htm