I have lived in four different countries (five if you count Wales and England separately). In each country the day before Ash Wednesday was celebrated. In Germany it is called Fastnacht, Switzerland it is Fasnacht. In the UK it is Shrove Tuesday and here in the US it is Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday.
The celebrations vary. In the UK, it is a simple affair where people make pancakes on the day thus its common name of pancake day. This was a tradition we celebrated with the kids in Switzerland to celebrate their British side.In Switzerland and Germany, they celebrate with street parades, loud music and lots of drinking.And here in the US, it's the same. I haven't lived in the US for a long time and last night was my first Mardi Gras.
I went to my local bar. It was on the parade route for a local brass band and it was wild! Loads of people all in good spirits. It's funny how the same event, celebrated in different places and in slightly different ways, can also be the same no matter what the cultural background is. Sure it was a bit low key compared to New Orleans or Luzern, but it was fun and I really had a great time.
