Carnival (Mardi Gras)

The word carnival is said to be derived from the phrase, "carne leva", meaning, "put away meat". In France, and in those countries with a French connection, the festival is known as Mardi Gras, which means Fat Tuesday. The celebration is held immediately before Lent, which is traditionally a forty day period of abstinence. In past times Roman Catholics were required to forgo meat, eggs, and all other pleasures of the flesh during this interval - so they made up for it in a big way on the day before the fast.
In England we call the day before Lent Shrove Tuesday. This name refers not to the party which ought to precede the lean period but to the act of "shriving", or confessing ones sins. The tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is a vestige of the time when none could be eaten during Lent and all had to be used up. In southern Spain the period after Lent is a time for eating "torrijas" which are a species of sweet and crispy eggy-bread.


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