Let the Good Times Get Here Quicker

It has been two years since the last real Mardi Gras celebration, so needless to say, people are excited for it. The streets are full of beads, king cakes, hurricanes (just the drink), colorful masks, and performers this year, with many traveling from out of state to enjoy the festivities. What exactly is the celebration? You'll be surprised to know that the history of the Mardi Gras celebration is centered around religion and that Americans are not the only ones who celebrate. 

If you were raised Catholic, you are probably familiar with Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and the Lent season. Ever wonder why Mardi Gras always falls on Fat Tuesday? Well, because it is the last hurrah before fasting for the Lent season. At least, that is how it started. There are still some people today who celebrate for religious reasons, but Carnival has evolved beyond a religious celebration in New Orleans. It has also become a cultural celebration of the different peoples who reside in New Orleans.

Let's back up a bit before we dive too far into culture and talk about history. The first year that Mardi Gras included a parade was in 1837. This is likely why the tradition of having a Mardi Gras parade is always associated with New Orleans and no other cities that have massive Mardi Gras celebration, for example St. Louis, Missouri. Oh, and the flashing for beads thing has been recorded as far back as 1887, so that's not something that our grandparents or even great grandparents can be blamed for starting. At the end of the parade there was always a ball that signaled the end of Carnival season. In the culture, those who celebrate in New Orleans tend to do so with a group also known as a Krewe. Krewes are Mardi Gras societies that honor something. There are Krewes that celebrate groups of people, such as Native Americans and those that celebrate a deity or figure, such as Bacchus or Proteus. Of course, the costumes for each Krewe are centered around what they are celebrating. Now you know! 

Americans are not the only ones to celebrate. For example, in the Czech Republic, the tradition is known as Mospust (roughly meaning meat-fast) and involves a door to door procession. In Germany, they have Fastnacht and carnival season starts on November 11th at 11:11am and runs all the way to Fastnacht. In Italy, they have Martedi Grasso, which is the main day of Carnival. They also have Giovedi Grasso, or Fat Thursday, which is celebrated the week before. In these celebrations it is common to wear apotropaic masks during this period such as the cat mask. Not all parts of Italy have the same traditions, for example, Ivrea has a massive food fight where people throw oranges at each other.

If you can't make it to New Orleans, maybe try looking into the celebrations that happen worldwide. Sounds good, right?