Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Along with food, there is a lot of celebrating.

Parades, masks, costumes, beads and a lot of partying. Mardi Gras is celebrated around the globe in many countries.

In the U.S., it's in New Orleans, LA. Mardi Gras here in this country is almost as old as the nation itself. It began with the French who settled in Louisiana in the late 1700's.

Mardi Gras celebrations are part of the basis of the slogan, 'Let The Good Times Roll', and this prompted the nickname, 'Big Easy' for New Orleans. And the good times roll on Fat Tuesday.

The purple, green and gold seen everywhere during Mardi Gras can be traced back to 1872. The colors were chosen by a Russian Duke who had traveled to New Orleans that year.

He was given the honor of selecting the official Mardi Gras colors. He decided that purple, green and gold seemed royal.

Later the colors were given meanings:

Purple for justice
Green for faith
Gold for power

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