NEW ORLEANS — In your Breakdown, we’re looking at how the date of Mardi Gras is determined.
Some may know this, but it all depends on the day of Easter. And Easter Sunday’s date is dependent on the moon.
Easter is celebrated the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after the spring equinox.
It can occur as early as Mar. 22 and as late as Apr. 25.
Working backwards through the calendar, the season of Lent is observed 46 days before Easter.
It begins on Ash Wednesday. Since Lent is a season of prayer and fasting, the last day before it is the big celebration of Fat Tuesday.
It may seem a little complicated, but Mardi Gras Day can be as early as Feb. 3 or as late as Mar. 9.
This year, it’s pretty early, landing on February 13, 2024.
The last time Mardi Gras was on its earliest-possible day - Feb. 3 - was in 1818, but New Orleans was still about 50 years away from its first Mardi Gras parade. Fat Tuesday will not fall that early again until 2285.
In 2025, we have a longer carnival season. Mardi Gras falls on Mar. 4, and you have the moon to thank for those few extra weeks with king cake.
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