On Shrove Tuesday Christians confess their sins to God and ask for forgiveness before Lent begins. Some Christians prefer to go to confession to seek absolution (forgiveness) from their sins by a priest. Receiving forgiveness gives Christians a new start to prepare for Easter.

The term Mardi Gras (French ‘fat Tuesday’) comes from the custom of using up all the fat in the household before the beginning of Lent. A festival was traditionally held on this day in Paris, and there are carnivals in many parts of the world, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Italy; and Brazil. The custom of the carnival (from the Latin ‘to take away meat’) began in Europe. Shrove Tuesday was the last day of feasting before the Lenten fasting began.