We know that Mardi Gras is a great time for a cocktail . . . but what exactly is Mardi Gras?
First off, a translation is in order. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday." This is because the holiday is rooted in the local Catholic tradition of gorging on fatty foods before the start of Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, which is defined by the 40 (or so) days before Easter.
By tradition, Lent is meant to be a period of restraint, hence the celebration of debauchery on Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras.
The celebration itself features a traditional ball presided over by a king and queen. Throughout the city, people sport costumes. There is a tradition of awarding beads to (or throwing them at . . .) revelers who show a little skin (or quite a lot).
New Orleans is not the only city that celebrates the holiday. Mardi Gras parties rage in Belgium, Canada, Brazil and even India, to name just a few. Many of these celebrations are referred to as "Carnival."
But in America anyway, the Mardi Gras bash in New Orleans is the best known -- and most notorious.
