Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday

Last Saturday, 20th September, the LibDem run Eastleigh council celebrated Mardi Gras, which is the last day of the carnival that precedes Lent. Lent, of course, starts on Ash Wednesday, 44 days before Good Friday, and Mardi Gras is the French for Fat Tuesday.  To us it is better known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day.

Traditionally, households would use up their sweet and fatty food before starting the austerity of Lent - the ritual fasting, so they made pancakes, and there was often a carnival. 

This year Shrove Tuesday was on 6th March, but for the third year running Eastleigh Council have held this event on a Saturday in September.  Is this because 44 days later it is Hallowe'en?  

Hallowe'en, of course, has both Christian and Pagan connotations, the former being All Hallows Eve, 1st November being All Saints Day,  and the latter being a Celtic festival.  So the question is: have our LibDem Council deliberately shunned a Christian festival to link up with Hallowe'en, which could be considered Pagan?

Or are they just ignorant?  Do they just not know or care that Mardi Gras is Shrove Tuesday?  And do they not know when Shrove Tuesday is?  Or could this be a hint that Christianity has to be pushed to one side, and not ignorance at all?