Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras 2014! Celebrate New Orleans-style on March 4 - fun facts and trivia about Carnival here!

It's officially Fat Tuesday! And for those of us who can't celebrate on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, here are some fun facts about Mardi Gras. Enjoy the festivities!

- The three official Mardi Gras colors have meaning. Purple = justice, green = faith, and gold = power.

- In several other countries (including England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) today's better known as "Pancake Day."

- Why "Fat" Tuesday? Some think it refers to the extravagant over-indulgences of the holiday. Others relate it back to a fattened ox that was paraded through town before being sacrificed at a mid-winter, pagan fertility celebration.

- Throwing colored beads became a tradition in the early 1900s. Back then, a parade float featuring a Santa Claus throwing glass beaded necklaces into the crowd was a huge hit, and it stuck. Women flashing their cleavage is a fairly new tradition, thanks to rowdy Spring Breaks.

- The term "carnival" is typically associated with Mardi Gras. It derives from the Latin expression meaning "farewell to the flesh" or "eat all the meat." And New Orleans' official anthem - "If I Ever Cease to Love."

- King Cakes are the official desserts of Mardi Gras. It's an oval cake honoring the three kings decorated in purple, green, and gold. A small plastic baby (symbolizing the Baby Jesus) is baked into each cake, and whichever lucky partier gets the piece with the prize will have good luck that entire year. And the following year, they're responsible for bringing the next King Cake!

- Louisiana is the only state that legalized Mardi Gras as an official holiday.

- Ash Wednesday follows Fat Tuesday. Lent then lasts for 40 days.

- Masks MUST be worn by individuals walking or riding in the parade. The original purpose of such disguises was to get rid of social constraints just for a day.

- The first official Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans was in 1837. Floats began appearing in 1857.

How many Mstars fans plan on celebrating this year, and how so?