What are your Fat Tuesday traditions?

Whether you call it Fastnacht Day, Shrovetide, Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, it's today — the day before Lent. For many Christians, now would be the time to use up all the eggs and lard and sugar in your pantry before embarking on a 40-day season of dietary austerity. Then you can pig out again on Easter.

Whether you observe Lent or not, some of the food traditions of Mardi Gras come baked into our culture, if you'll forgive the almost unintentional pun.

So how do you and your family and friends celebrate the day?

Tell us in the comments below.

Frying up a mess of pancakes? Picking up a couple dozen malasadas or pączki or semla or fastelavnsboller from your mom's favorite bakery?

Maybe you prefer a more savory route, using up all the salted meat and pea soup in your cupboard.

Or are you digging through a king cake right now to find that little plastic baby?