River shown in diagrams disrupted carnival

• Carnival route initially appears in complicated diagrams

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Mardi Gras , 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 King's Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday . is French ...

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mardi gras \Mar"di` gras"\, n. [F., literally, fat Tuesday.] The last day of Carnival; the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent and fasting); Shrove Tuesday; -- in some cities a great day of carnival and merrymaking; in the United States ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. (alternative form of Mardi Gras English)

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1690s, from French, literally "fat Tuesday," from mardi "Tuesday" (12c., from Latin Martis diem "day of the planet Mars;" see Tuesday ) + gras "fat," from Latin crassus , "thick." Day of eating and merrymaking before the fasting season of Lent.