Today, hordes of party-goers descend on ‘The Big Easy” to celebrate Mardi Gras. Countries around the world also celebrate Mardi Gras as the last day of Carnival season. In French, Mardi Gras, also known as Shrove Tuesday, translates into “Fat Tuesday”.
With Spring just around the corner, why not celebrate fat savings with a quote on car insurance?
Here are some interesting facts you can impress your friends with about Mardi Gras:
- Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
- Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting before Easter
- Mardi Gras is the last day of Carnival season
- Carnival is celebrated in countries with large Roman Catholic populations
- Carnival begins on January 6th, the twelfth day after Christmas
- Mardi Gras is also known as “Pancake Day”
- In Canada, Australia, England, Ireland and New Zealand, people celebrate by feasting on pancakes
- Purple, gold, and green are the official colors of Mardi Gras
- Purple implies justice, gold indicates power, and green signifies faith
- King’s cake is eaten worldwide throughout Carnival season
- In the U.S., it is traditionally purple, green, and gold, with a trinket baby Jesus inside.
- Whoever finds the baby Jesus is believed to enjoy good luck all year
- The first New Orleans Mardi Gras parade was in 1837
- The first floats made their debut in the parade in 1857
- Fat Tuesday is an official state holiday in Alabama, Florida and eight parishes in Louisiana
- The first Mardi Gras parade was held in Alabama
- Mobile, Alabama, was the first city in the United States to celebrate Mardi Gras, and now hosts the next largest celebration after New Orleans
- Louisiana made Mardi Gras a legal state holiday in 1875
- Social clubs called “Krewes” plan the parades, and organize balls and parties.
- If you’re not wearing a mask, you can’t ride on a parade float – it’s against the law
Mardi Gras is a time of renewal, and it’s a great time to get a jump on lowering your car insurance premiums. Enjoy fat savings on your car insurance by getting a competitive rate quote.
Have you been to Mardi Gras before? Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.
