[mahr-dee grah, grah] 
| 1. | the day before Lent, celebrated in some cities, as New Orleans and Paris, as a day of carnival and merrymaking; Shrove Tuesday. |
| 2. | a pre-Lenten carnival period climaxing on this day. |
| Mar·di Gras (mär'dē grä') n.
[French : mardi, Tuesday + gras, fat (from the feasting on Mardi Gras before Lenten fasting).] |
An annual festival held in France on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” — meaning it is the last opportunity to eat rich food before the fast of Lent begins. It is related to celebrations elsewhere, called “carnivals,” from the Latin words carne and vale, “meat” and “farewell,” meaning a farewell to meat before the abstinence of Lent.
Note: New Orleans, Louisiana, is famous for its Mardi Gras celebration, as is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.