Today is a real occasion to celebrate as it’s Fat Tuesday, otherwise known as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. This is a festive occasion prompting festivals, feasting, parades, parties, dressing-up, and carnivals across the US and in many other countries. For many people across the world it marks the last day before Lent so we thought we’d bring you a selection of iOS apps that will help you make the best of the day.

Simply click on the title links to go straight to the download page for any of these apps from the App Store. Firstly we have the Mardi Gras Party & Parade Guide 2013. This is a free app compatible for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 5.0 or later and has been the number one rated Mardi Gras app for the past three years. It has 90 parade schedules, parade routes, special offers and chat so that you can keep in touch with friends and family and see who’s going to what parties. It also tells you about many venues in New Orleans and enables you to listen to music from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Another choice is the Mardi Gras Photo Image Booth — Share your Fat Tuesday Shrove Tues Mardi Gras Moments. This is another free app and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 4.3 or later. This photo and video app enables you to take photos in the app or use photos already on your camera roll and embellish them with Fat Tuesday /Mardi Gras stamps and frames. You can then save the images to your camera roll or share them through Facebook or Twitter.

There’s also a Mardi Gras Wallpaper app by EmJa Automatic for $0.99. This one is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.2 or later, which is pretty simple really as it offers Mardi Gras-themed wallpapers for your device all year round.

If you want to enjoy the experience of New Orleans but can’t be there then try the Mardi Gras Live app for $2.99. This is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation, 4th and 5th generation), and iPad running iOS 5.0 or later and has been optimized for iPhone 5. This will allow you to watch live streaming from three different spots in the Big Easy, at the Cat’s Meow with karaoke, on Bourbon Street and also with a birds-eye view.

Finally if you want some help with feasting and traditional pancakes then there’s the Pancake Recipes app. This is a free app compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd, 4th and 5th generation) and iPad running iOS 4.3 or later and has been optimized for iPhone 5. This has more than 230 pancake recipes and the recipes are illustrated so are easy to follow and you can share the recipes with friends via email.

So there you have it. Hopefully there is something for everyone among these apps and all we can now say to you is Happy Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day or whatever you call it in your part of the world! Please feel free to leave us your comments as we’re always interested in hearing from readers.