Carnaval de Nice
Mardi Gras was the last day Christians could eat des mets gras (fatty foods) before spending 40 days of prayer and meat abstinence, until Easter. This day announced the beginning of Carême (Lent). It marks in a climactic fashion the end of la semaine des sept jours gras (week of seven fat days fat), once called jours charnels (carnal days). This period precedes le mercredi des Cendres (Ash Wednesday).
Mardi Gras is celebrated in various cities around France, like Paris, and especially Nice with its Carnaval de Nice, one of the largest carnivals in the world (February 15th to March 6th). This year, the carnival theme is ‘Roi des 5 Continents’ (King of the 5 continents). The word carnaval comes from the Latin “carne levare” (to remove the meat).
On this occasion, people traditionally eat les beignets du carnaval (a type of donut) rather than crêpes. And if the religious history remains more in the background today, Mardi Gras is nevertheless celebrated for an occasion to wear fantastic masks and colorful costumes, and party in the streets!
Beignets
