- Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, is a day of celebration and indulgence observed before the Christian season of Lent begins.
- It falls on the Tuesday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday, marking the end of a six-week pre-Lenten festive period that commences on Three Kings' Day (6 January).
- Historically, the day dates back to Roman harvest celebrations, later evolving into a boisterous Christian tradition of feasting and partying before 40 days of penance.
- Celebrations, particularly prominent in New Orleans, involve elaborate parades with costumes, music, and the throwing of beaded necklaces, alongside the consumption of 'king cake'.
- The 'king cake' tradition, introduced by French settlers, involves baking a figurine inside, with the finder being crowned 'king' or 'queen' of the festivities.
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