What does the French phrase “Mardi Gras” mean in English?

The French phrase “Mardi Gras” means “Fat Tuesday” in English.

The name combines mardi, meaning Tuesday, with gras, meaning fat. It refers to the final Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in the Western Christian calendar. Traditionally, households used this last day before fasting to consume rich foods such as meat, butter, eggs and other stored ingredients.

Mardi Gras is also called Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, depending on the country and tradition. The broader Carnival season may last for weeks, but Mardi Gras is specifically its climactic final day. In places such as New Orleans, the phrase also names a large public festival of parades, costumes and masked groups.

It is easy to confuse Mardi Gras with the entire Carnival season. Mardi Gras is one day; Carnival is the wider period leading up to Lent. The following day is Ash Wednesday, which begins the penitential season of Lent.