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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is also called "Shrove Tuesday", the final day of Carnival ("car-nee-VAHL" elsewhere but in New Orleans "CAR-na-val"). It is a celebration that is held just before the beginning of the Christian liturgical season of Lent. Carnival season celebrations are also discussed in the Carnival article (see).

Dates

The date can vary from early February to as late as the second week in March. Like Lent, the date is dependent on that of Easter.

Mardi Gras falls on the following dates in the following years:

* 2004 - February 24
* 2005 - February 8
* 2006 - February 28
* 2007 - February 20
* 2008 - February 5
* 2009 - February 24
* 2010 - February 16
* 2011 - March 8
* 2012 - February 21
* 2013 - February 12
* 2014 - March 4

Locations

Perhaps the three cities most famous for their Mardi Gras celebrationss are New Orleans (whose carnival has become legendary), Rio de Janeiro (known for having the most ostentatious and licentious carnival), and Venice (whose carnival traditions have their roots in pagan times, and were shaped into what they are today during the Renaissance.) Many other places have important Mardi Gras celebrations as well. Carnival is an important celebration in most of Europe (Especially Southern Europe), and in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

For more information on Mardi Gras, please refer to Wikipedia.org.