The name "Fat Tuesday" comes from the custom to indulge on
sweets and meats that Catholics traditionally forego during the
Lent period. Here are some other Fat Tuesday fun facts: - Mardi
Gras is also known by the name "Carnival," which translates to
mean "Eat all the meat." - The day following "Fat Tuesday" is
Ash Wednesday. - Lent lasts for 40 days. - According to
historians, French-Canadian explorer, Jean Baptiste Le Monyne
Sieur de Bienville instigated the first American Mardi Gras on
March 3, 1699, after landing close to New Orleans, on a spot he
named "Pointe due Mardi Gras." - In 1827, some Louisiana
students returned from a trip to Parish and decided to revive
the tradition in Louisiana, which had been lost due to Spanish
control of New Orleans. - In the early 19th Century, the public
celebration of Mardi Gras consisted mainly of maskers on foot,
in carriages and on horseback. In 1837, a costumed group of
revelers walked in the first documented "parade," but the
violent behavior of maskers during the n