Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May St. in Aurora, will celebrate Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, with a free pancake dinner and craft-making from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4.
The public is invited said Lead Pastor Rev. Tammy Scott. Admission and parking are free.
The family event will feature a pancake dinner with pancakes, sausage, fruit and juice. After dinner, guests will be invited to make Mardi Gras-themed crafts.
Fat Tuesday is the last day before Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and self-sacrifice. Fat Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday. A day of celebration and merrymaking, it’s a day to eat rich, fatty foods that are forbidden during Lent and to prepare for Lent by getting rid of fats and desserts in the house.
In New Orleans, Fat Tuesday is celebrated with parades, music, and dancing. In England, Fat Tuesday is known as Pancake Day. In other countries, people eat pancakes or variations of pancakes.
Fat Tuesday originated in Catholic Europe during the Middle Ages. French colonists introduced the term to the Americas in the 1600s. The carnival tradition of merrymaking before Lent originated in Rome. The word “carnival” comes from the Latin words carne (“flesh”) and levare (“to remove,” “to take away”).
Call 630-896-1033 or visit wesleyumcaurora.org for more information.
—Al Benson