The Monday before Ash Wednesday in Mobile Mardi Gras tradition is called Lundi Gras.
Lundi Gras is French for “Fat Monday,” and it comes immediately before Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. Both days historically provided opportunities to enjoy rich food before Ash Wednesday began Lent, the Christian season traditionally associated with fasting, prayer and penitence.
In Mobile, Lundi Gras is traditionally more family-oriented than the name might suggest. Schools close for Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, while families attend parades, king-cake gatherings, carnival activities and community events. The Mobile Carnival Association’s Floral Parade is one of the day’s established traditions.
The term is sometimes confused with the broader Carnival season or with Joe Cain Day, which occurs on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. Lundi Gras is specifically Monday; Mardi Gras is Tuesday, the final day before Ash Wednesday. Because Easter changes date each year, the calendar date of Lundi Gras also moves annually.