query: What is the meaning of Mardi Gras?
passage: Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras (/ˈmɑːrdi ˌɡrɑː/), or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday (known as Shrove Tuesday). Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.
passage: Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is linked[2] with the ancient Roman pagan celebrations of spring and fertility such as Saturnalia which date back to 133-31 B.C.E. In this Roman ritual or , citizens used to honor the god of agriculture, Saturn. The ritual was observed in mid-December, usually before the sowing the winter crops would took place. This was a weeklong festival when work and business came to a halt. Schools and courts of law closed, and the normal social patterns were suspended.