The Skinny on Fat Tuesday :: What is today all about?

What is Fat Tuesday?

Chances are you’ve heard the term “Fat Tuesday.”

In French, Mardi means “Tuesday'” and gras means “fat.” Put it together, and you’ve got Fat Tuesday, but what does it mean?

Mardi Gras takes place on the last Tuesday before Lent. The date varies each year because it happens 47 days before Easter Sunday. It is a day when people indulge in decadent and fattening foods. In the Catholic tradition, the Lenten period begins on Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras. The Tuesday before is seen as the last day for feasts and merriment, as Lent is observed as a time of sacrifice and fasting.

Celebrating Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras is packed full of traditions like:

Eating king cake
Eating paczki
Having pancake suppers
In New Orleans, Louisiana, elaborate parades and the throwing of beads
In Venice, Italy, masked balls

The colors for Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, are purple, green, and gold.

These colors were chosen in 1872 by the Krewe of Rex in New Orleans.

The colors were selected to honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Romanov, whose house colors were the same.

Meaning of the colors:

Purple: Represents justice

Green: Represents faith

Gold: Represents power

Iconic "Fat Tuesday" Foods

KING CAKE

The festive Mardi Gras dessert is eaten for breakfast, afternoon snacks, and throughout the parades. The name comes from the Biblical story of the three kings that bring gifts to baby Jesus. It is a blend of coffee cake and a cinnamon roll with purple, green, and gold icing or sugar. Sometimes, they are also filled with cream or fruit. Within the cake, a plastic king cake baby is hidden for fun. Tradition says that whoever finds the baby will buy the next king cake!

PACZKI

A Paczki is a traditional Polish dessert of dense jelly donuts.

You may also hear "Fat Tuesday" called "Paczki Day". Why? The tradition began in the 1700s when people traditionally cleared their homes of any delicious and perishable foods prior to the six weeks of fasting for the Lenten season. Not wanting to be wasteful, the Polish paczki was born from their lard and sugar. The tradition of eating paczki on Fat Tuesday quickly expanded to Chicago and other communities where large numbers of Polish people settled in the 20th century. Hence, Paczki Day is another common name for Fat Tuesday.

BEIGNETS

Beignets are a pastry that originated in France and were brought to Louisiana by French colonists in the 18th century. They are the official state doughnut of Louisiana and are synonymous with the French Quarter and Café du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana. They're enjoyed during Fat Tuesday and all year long!