Mardi Gras

mar'de gra', Shrove Tuesday. The term is French, meaning "Fat Tuesday." It is so called from the French custom of leading a fat ox in a procession in celebration of the day. It is the last day of carnival, being the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is the occasion of an annual procession, with festivities and revelry lasting till midnight.