I understand that Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and its relationship to Mardi Gras. But, specifically, how did it get its name? Just because of partying?
Speaking of partying on Fat Tuesday, in Chicago, which has more Polish people than Warsaw, I'm told, they're big on serving paczkis, which are pronounced like "poonch keys." They sound a little like the Jewish hamantashen which is served on Purim. Though, in thinking about them, maybe paczkis are closer to Jewish doughnuts , called sufganiot.
Have you noticed that many of the cultures have the same types of food, though prepared a little differently and with different names? For example, Italian ravioli is like Jewish kreplach .This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,
We generally call it Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday over here, the former since pancakes are traditionally eaten on that day, the latter from shrive, meaning "confess".
Shrove Tuesday is the day before the start of the fast of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It is therefore the last chance to eat up the richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
The gras in Mardi Gras means 'fat' in French. It's the same word as occurs in foie gras (literally 'fat liver'). Where I lived in Germany (the Rhineland), it's called Karnevalsdienstag 'Carnival Tuesday'.
The singular is pączek. It's the little tail or hook (ogonek) under the a that gives the nasal sound (link). The word itself is a diminutive of pąk '(plant) bud'.
Yiddish kreplekh is the plural of krepl perhaps related to a Germanic root for grape. I have seen steamed potsickers on a Chinese menu described in English a 'water ravioli'. Italian ravioli is a plural form, which makes it funny when Anglophone ask for raviolis.
My Italian in-laws would add an 's' to most of the plural Italian pasta words too.
No doubt they find it funny, too. I often add an s to some pasta names when I am in a jocular mood. NB, I did not say that it was incorrect. That way lies peevology.
Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday; in English the day is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday, from the word shrive, meaning "confess."
