Mardi Gras: Test your Good Times IQ

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," the day when when revelers traditionally feasted on meat, dairy and eggs. It's the last hurrah before lent begins.

French for "Fat Monday," Lundi Gras has become a popular celebration in the past few decades, with Mardi-goers treating it as one big pre-party before Tuesday's festivities.

In 1875, the state's governor signed the Mardi Gras Act, making Fat Tuesday a legal holiday. But whether or not you get the day off varies from parish to parish.

Although arrests may be infrequent, the shirt-hoisting practice falls under public indecency and is punishable by jail time and up to a $1000 fine.

We wish it were true, but an estimated 25 million pounds of beads end up in landfills.

There's still plenty of bead-throwing bacchanalia, but city officials have kept major parades out of the area since 1972. The reason? The quarter's narrow streets and low-hanging balconies.

The purple, gold and green color scheme was chosen in 1872 by a Russian duke. Later, LSU went with a purple-and-gold combo because shops were already stocked with the shades.

The cake, named after the biblical kings, traditionally comes with a small plastic baby inside. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby inside has to buy the next cake.

In 1857, the Mystick Krewe of Comus held the first Mardi Gras parade. Comus is still the oldest active Mardi Gras krewe.

The singer will be the celebrity grand marshal on a mega-float that's 356 feet long—about 20 yards longer than a football field.