MARDI GRAS

MARDI GRAS
Mardi Gras means ? Fat Tuesday ? . It began as a Christian ____________________ . ? Fat ? symbolized how much people ate on the Tuesday before Lent . Lent is a period a few weeks before Easter . Long ago Christians fasted during Lent . To fast means to give up ____________________ . These days Christians usually give up a bad ____________________ during Lent .
Mardi Gras is sometimes a one - day celebration . Christians call this day Shrove Tuesday ( or Pancake Tuesday ) . Most Mardi Gras celebrations aren't ____________________ anymore .
Some countries celebrate Mardi Gras for weeks at a time . These parties are called festivals or carnivals and they mark the change of winter to spring . Activities include dressing up , dancing and having parades .
New Orleans is well known for its Mardi Gras ____________________ . ? Krewes ? are private clubs that organize the events . Krewe ____________________ is secret to the public . Nobody knows what the parade floats will look like . The people on the floats wear masks and ____________________ party favors to the crowd . The colors of Mardi Gras are purple , gold and green . These stand for justice , power and faith .
Rio de Janeiro also hosts springtime festivals . Rio's Carnival is ? The greatest party on earth . ? It is well known for its samba school parade . ____________________ love to watch the famous parade from private balconies . Judges decide which samba school has the best dancers and costumes .
Canadians enjoy an annual carnival too . It is not in the springtime . Quebec City's Winter Festival is one of the largest in the world . Close to one million people visit the winter ____________________ ____________________ each year . Activities include sleigh racing and dog sledding .