| − | '''Fat Tuesday''' is the day before [[Ash Wednesday]]. | + | '''Fat Tuesday''', also known as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday, is the day before [[Ash Wednesday]], which begins the Christian season of [[Lent]]. Because the eating of meat and meat products was forbidden by the Catholic Church during Lent and people were expected to fast during the Lenten season, it became common to make Fat Tuesday a day of feasting and celebration, where people would use up the lard, eggs, and milk they were forbidden during Lent. |