<Tr> <Th> Frequency </Th> <Td> Annual </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Related to </Th> <Td> Shrove Tuesday; Carnival, Shrove Monday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Užgavėnės, Maslenitsa, Valentine's Day </Td> </Tr> <P> Mardi Gras (/ ˈmɑːrdiɡrɑː /), also called Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, in English, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday . Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season . </P> <P> Related popular practices are associated with Shrovetide celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent . In countries such as the United Kingdom, Mardi Gras is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which is derived from the word shrive, meaning "confess". </P>

What is the purpose of celebrating mardi gras