March 1 - Mardi Gras

3. Upon Christianity's arrival in Rome, the religion blended with pagan traditions, and so began a time of _______ preceding the 40 days of fasting between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
6. Mardi Gras is also known as _____ _______ (2 words).
8. Participants wear ______ they catch at parades.
10. Its epicenter is ____ _____ (2 words), where most non-essential businesses are shut down and locals and pilgrims come together for parades, music, food, and drink.
11. some say that the first Mardi Gras in ______was celebrated in 1703, at "Fort Louis de la Louisiane," where the settlement La Mobile was located.
12. France took control of the area at the turn of the century, and the United States acquired the area in 1803 with the ______ ________ (2 words)

1. Mardi Gras at the time was defined by masked balls, _____ ______, and dinners.
2. Revelers wear costumes, dress in ______, gold, and green.
4. Mardi Gras is held all around the world, particularly in cities with large ______ _______ (2 words) populations.
5. Although Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday, it is generally believed to have roots in _____ celebrations of spring and fertility like Saturnalia and Lupercalia.
7. _______—a name that is also used to refer to the whole period between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday.
9. When the ______ took control of New Orleans in 1762, these practices were banned.