Mardi Gras SVG is a Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Catholic Lent, the last day of the carnival. The holiday, which marks the end of seven “fat days” (analogous to the Omnivorous Week). Fat Tuesday means the last night before the fast.
The name is mainly used in French-speaking countries and regions. It is celebrated in many European countries, in the USA and in other countries. Of the cities in the United States, New Orleans has the largest and most lavish celebrations. In English-speaking countries, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday (confessional, fat Tuesday) is called; an analogue of the East Slavic Shrovetide.
The tradition of Mardi Gras SVG dates back to pre-Christian pagan rituals: the Winter and Spring Meetings, the election of King and Queen (Father and Mother’s images, the images typical especially of Celtic culture), the burning of totem puppets, the eating of solar symbols (in Russia – pancakes as a memorial meal), etc. After the Christianization of Europe, many cults and festivals were assimilated by the new faith. The tradition of celebrating carnival is very much alive in many countries of Europe and America. In Europe, traditional brownies (“fat”) sweets are being prepared for the festival: pies, buns of cream, doughnuts and pancakes.
In the USA, the French name Mardi Gras is more widespread. Initially it was a costume show on the occasion of the spring meeting in the French quarter of New Orleans, which aroused the curiosity of the yawns. Over the years, the carnival became more and more crowded, there were brightly colored platforms, moved by horses.
Legend has it that the brother of the heir to the Russian throne, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, who fell in love with American actress Lydia Thompson, followed her to New Orleans just before the holiday. Carnival organizers, learning about the visit of the royalty, prepared a special platform with the inscription “Rex” (King). Thus Alexey Romanov appeared to be the king of the holiday.
According to this version, since then, namely, since 1872, the canons of this noisy, mischievous, bright festival were finally established: every year the carnival is headed by the “king” and “queen”, who in masks and suits go on a huge decorated platform with their surroundings. In response to the traditional screams of the excited crowd “Throw us something!” they throw big tin coins, plastic rosaries and other trinkets.