Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the French name for Shrove Tuesday and marks the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. It is a celebration where Christians would use up foods like eggs and meat before the fasting period of Lent by making pancakes, cakes, and other fatty foods. Carnaval has the same meaning and origin, coming from the Italian phrase "carne vale" meaning goodbye to flesh, and is celebrated on the same day as Mardi Gras with costumes, makeup, and eating nice foods.

1. Mardi Gras
Et Carnaval

2. What does Mardi Gras
mean?
Mard Tuesday
i
Gras Fat
So the meaning is « Fat Tuesday » ! Indeed, Mardi Gras is the
French for « Shrove Tuesday » . It has the same meaning,
and the same religious origins.
It’s always on the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, which is the
start of Lent ( Carême in French ). So Christians were not
supposed to eat any meat and eggs during the 40 days of Lent,
ending on Easter. That’s why on Shrove Tuesday, we eat a lot of
really good ( and fat ! ) food like crêpes, cakes, pancakes …
because we need to be good during Lent.

3. And what about
« Carnaval »?
• « Carnaval » comes from the Italian word
« carne vale » meaning ‘goodbye to the
flesh’, so this is related to Mardi Gras.
• That’s why we celebrate both on the same
day in France. We dress up in costumes,
put make up on, and eat lots of nice food.

5. Gaufres
Crêpes
Merveilles Bonbons

6. Carnaval de Nice

7. Carnaval de Nice