Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French.

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Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French.
What is Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras, also known as Shrove Tuesday,
Carnival, and even Pancake Day in the UK, is an
annual festival which will be celebrated on 16th
February in 2010.
Falling just before Lent, it traditionally marks
the last opportunity for fun and feasting before
40 days of "self-denial".
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• Festivities begin at the beginning of February,
  leading up to Mardi Gras day, and consist of
  parades, dancing in the street, costumes and
  masked balls.

• The modern Carnival tradition developed in
• Europe in the Middle ages, and is celebrated
• mainly in Roman Catholic communities in Europe
• and the Americas today.

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Mardi Gras parades happen throughout the world. 
Some of the most famous celebrations are held in
Nice (France), Cologne (Germany), Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil) and New Orleans (USA)Binche in Belgium
and Viareggio in Italy are just a few examples.  
The Tuesday that Mardi Gras falls on is also
known as Shrove Tuesday.  The name comes from
the custom of confessing on the day before
lent. 
Shrove means "to be forgiven one's sins."
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Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday".  The name
comes from the ancient custom of parading a fat
ox through Paris on this day.  The ox was to
remind the people that they were not allowed to
eat meat during Lent.  Lent runs from Ash
Wednesday thru Easter Sunday.
Mardi Gras moves.  It can be anywhere between
February 3rd and March 9th.  The date depends on
when Easter falls.
French people who came to the United States
brought the custom of Mardi Gras with them. 
The most famous festival in the US (and perhaps
the world) is at New Orleans in Louisiana.
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During the parade, everyone dresses up in
costumes.  Trinkets, especially beads and
doubloons, are tossed to the crowds from the
parade floats.
Watch the two clips on mardi gras in New
Orleans!!!!
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In Southern Italy, people dress up in costumes
and put on an ancient play during Mardi Gras.
In Rio de Janeiro, people dance in the streets
In Nice, France people wear giant masks in the
Mardi Gras parade.
(it looks like a bunch of walking heads with tiny
bodies).
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In Binche, Belgium people dress in colorful clown
costumes (the clowns are called gilles).
The clowns wear bunches of ostrich feathers on
their heads and dance in the streets.  They
carry baskets of oranges which they throw to
the watching crowds.
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Mardi Gras is all about green, purple, gold,
sparkle, beads, masks and noise!
GREEN!
--------symbolises FAITH
GOLD!
--------symbolises POWER!
PURPLE!
--------symbolises JUSTICE!
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Mardi gras masks!
-Cut out a basic mask shape. -Draw your own, or
use our templates. -use coloured (preferably
purple, gold or green) card, or white card -add
colour, sequins, beads, ribbons, glitter,
feathers etc to decorate-Using a hole punch,
punch two holes at each end and cut string or
elastic to fit. -decorate your mask to be really
"over the top" and fancy!
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Some ideas