What feast does Mardi Gras precede in the liturgical calendar?

Mardi Gras, also known as "Fat Tuesday," is traditionally celebrated as the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. Lent is a period of fasting and preparation leading up to Easter.

Since Easter is the feast that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mardi Gras serves as a festive day to indulge before the Lenten season of penance, reflection, and fasting begins. The vibrant celebrations of Mardi Gras are part of the historical practice of enjoying food and festivities before the more somber period leading to Easter.

This significant association with Easter highlights why Mardi Gras is celebrated immediately before the Lenten season and emphasizes the transition from a time of celebration to a time of reflection and preparation for this major feast in the Christian faith.