New Orleans has the biggest annual Mardi Gras celebration in the United States, and the festivities are in full swing as "Fat Tuesday" approaches.
Grab your beads and get your parade floats ready, because it's Mardi Gras!
Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, so "laissez les bons temps rouler," or, for our non-French speaking readers, "Let the good times roll."
It's a day of indulgence that marks the end of Carnival and is immediately followed by the Christian holiday, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is a 40-day season of fasting, excluding Sundays, observed by Christians that leads up to Easter Sunday.
Across the country, Mardi Gras is celebrated with parties, music, dancing, good food and parades before the season of fasting begins. The celebration is Carnival's grand finale and is the day that closes out the festive season, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.
The days leading up to Mardi Gras are no different, with celebrations taking place over Valentine's Day weekend.
See photos of Mardi Gras weekend
Contributing: Saman Shafiq, Michelle Del Rey; USA TODAY
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
