Mardi Gras 2025: Unmasking All the Wild Traditions – Do You Know Them All?

The Mardi Gras celebration returns on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, which is 48 days before Easter, celebrated on Sunday, April 20 that year. This festive event marks the last day of the carnival season. For the occasion, children and adults alike enjoy dressing up, putting on makeup, wearing elaborate masks, and indulging in delicious doughnuts or bugnes.

What are the Origins of Mardi Gras?

Originally, Mardi Gras was a pagan festival during the Roman times, celebrating the end of winter and the arrival of spring. In the Roman calendar, this day was also an opportunity to break the rules by disguising oneself and indulging in excessive eating. Mardi Gras was later incorporated into Christian traditions as a prelude to Lent. For Christians, Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and abstinence that concludes on Easter Sunday.

Why is it Called “Mardi Gras”?

Why is the holiday named “Mardi Gras”? In Italian, Mardi Gras is called “Carnevale,” a term derived from “carne levare” (literally “remove meat”), which refers to the upcoming “lean” days. During this period, Christians abstain from consuming eggs and meat. Therefore, Mardi Gras is characterized by an abundance of meats and pastries, hence the name “fat” (gras).

Why Do People Dress Up on Mardi Gras?

During Mardi Gras, the faithful would use the opportunity to consume all their food reserves. It was also a time dedicated to entertainment and joy to forget daily worries just before Lent, which explains the costumes and the Carnival widely associated with Mardi Gras. Since then, some traditions have persisted, and Mardi Gras has become a popular celebration, regardless of religious affiliation.

What Activities Can Children Do for Mardi Gras?

Beyond dressing up for Mardi Gras, children can engage in craft activities and various DIY projects. For instance, they might create an accessory for their costume (hat, crown, maracas) or immerse themselves in a Mardi Gras-themed coloring activity, which can be used to decorate their room for the occasion. Here are all our activity ideas for kids on Mardi Gras:

Doughnuts, Bugnes, Waffles… What Do We Eat on Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras is also known for its sweet culinary traditions. Historically, it involved using up reserves of butter, oil, and eggs to avoid wastage during the fasting period of Lent. Since then, traditional foods on Mardi Gras include waffles, bugnes, and doughnuts (along with their regional variations!).

It’s worth noting that Mardi Gras is celebrated just before Ash Wednesday. It is therefore the last day before the start of Lent, which for Christians symbolizes a period of fasting and deprivation until Easter. Mardi Gras thus allows the faithful (and others) to fully enjoy, particularly by indulging in good food, before the practice of fasting.