Today is Mardi Gras! Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras is a day of parades, masks, music, and celebration!

Mardi Gras has been celebrated in America since 1699, however it has been an eminent holiday in Paris since the Middle Ages! Mardi Gras is always the day before Ash Wednesday and is meant to be a day of celebration prior to the fasting season of Lent. Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday in French) was the day when families would try to get rid of all of their fattening food—eggs, butter, milk—in order to keep the house free of temptation for Lent. The result? Often, a whole lot of pancakes!

Mardi Gras is celebrated around the world. Each region has its own colorful customs and traditions. In Denmark, for example, there is a festival called the Fastelavn in which children play games and dress in costumes. In Italy, people attend the Carnival of Venice and wear beautiful Venetian masks. Fat Tuesday in New Orleans is a decadent celebration—full of jazz music, Zulu parades, and colorful costumes. Joie de vivre!