Mardi Gras, USA

Assalamualaikum.

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in English refers to the events of the Carnival celebrations. Reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. Mardi Gras is the last big party of winter. It is the last day of Carnival, a word derived from "Carnevale," which means "goodbye meat."

Mardi Gras will be celebrated on 47 days before Easter and can take place anytime between February 3 and March 9 depending on when Easter is held that year.In 1857, a group called Mystik Krewe of Comus staged the first modern style of Mardi Gras parade.

 The torch lit evening procession of floats illustrated themes from mythology and literature. The parades are headed by 'Kings' and 'Queens' who throw trinkets at the crowd. There's no general theme for Mardi Gras but each individual depicts a specific subject such as legends, children's stories and geography.

Originally the costumes were worn to keep the identities of Krewe members secret whereas today its no longer a big deal. Other practices include dancing, sports competitions and wearing mask.