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What I find interesting about this discussion is that Mardi Gras is a huge TOURIST attraction for NOLA.... and people of ALL FAITHS attend. So, when people talk about THE CHURCH... who are they talking about?
I understand this... I am just saying if everyone gathers from multiple faiths to sin in a mass parade of hedonism... then, why is this conversations all revolving around religion (THE CHURCH in particular)... Really, NOLA's Mardi Gras is a tourist based way of earning money and partying. It is a festival that may have began as a tradition that revolved around the start of LENT... but it has evolved into something non religious if it ever was that to begin with. NOLA's entire culture and way of life on Bourbon Street is sinful and inappropriate and comes to a hieghtened existence on this day... NOLA in general seems to be a sinful place, like Las Vegas and other locations in nation.... I think it is that culture more than the day itself... if anything. Perhaps the culture won out over the people.... in the beginning... knowing they would be forced to fast/repent for 40 days and nights... But in today's society it has become a whole other entitiy which has nothing to do with religion at all.....
I understand this... I am just saying if everyone gathers from multiple faiths to sin in a mass parade of hedonism... then, why is this conversations all revolving around religion (THE CHURCH in particular)... Really, NOLA's Mardi Gras is a tourist based way of earning money and partying. It is a festival that may have began as a tradition that revolved around the start of LENT... but it has evolved into something non religious if it ever was that to begin with. NOLA's entire culture and way of life on Bourbon Street is sinful and inappropriate and comes to a hieghtened existence on this day... NOLA in general seems to be a sinful place, like Las Vegas and other locations in nation.... I think it is that culture more than the day itself... if anything. Perhaps the culture won out over the people.... in the beginning... knowing they would be forced to fast/repent for 40 days and nights... But in today's society it has become a whole other entitiy which has nothing to do with religion at all.....
I agree.
Kind of reminds me of christmas and chocolate easter bunnys
I agree.
Kind of reminds me of christmas and chocolate easter bunnys
you associate flashing your breasts and getting trashed with Christmas? Funny... I don't... nor do I assiciate them with the prep of Lent.... so I don't see how Mardi Gras has anything to do with Lent either....
Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday. Mardi is Tuesday and Gras is fat. The tradition holds that on Ash Wednesday you begin lent which is a Catholic tradition of giving up something between Ash Wednesday and Easter. In most cases this something was certain types of food and drink. Most common is eating meat on Friday. It's during this time that local restaurants here in Louisiana have sales on seafood dishes every Friday. Because of this tradition it became customary to indulge in those things you were going to give up for Lent. This led to over indulgence and a large party type celebration. It's gone overboard to the point of being dangerous due to extreme drunken behavior and illegal drugs. Most of the Louisiana Mardi Gras outside of New Orleans do not tolerate public nudity, public sex, and other things that go on in New Orleans.
Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday. Mardi is Tuesday and Gras is fat. The tradition holds that on Ash Wednesday you begin lent which is a Catholic tradition of giving up something between Ash Wednesday and Easter. In most cases this something was certain types of food and drink. Most common is eating meat on Friday. It's during this time that local restaurants here in Louisiana have sales on seafood dishes every Friday. Because of this tradition it became customary to indulge in those things you were going to give up for Lent. This led to over indulgence and a large party type celebration. It's gone overboard to the point of being dangerous due to extreme drunken behavior and illegal drugs. Most of the Louisiana Mardi Gras outside of New Orleans do not tolerate public nudity, public sex, and other things that go on in New Orleans.
Thanks for the clarification.
No offence to Louisiana. ( Been there once, great people and great food )
What you describe outside of new orleans sounds like alot of good fun.
In the town of Mamou they celebrate it in a classic Cajun tradition. Men on horseback and in homemade costume travel door to door along a trail asking for donations,...usually a live chicken and the men and boys try to catch the chicken. The end of the ride, which includes wagons, is where they make a big gumbo and other food. They also have music and dancing. About the only thing I don't like about that is there's still too much drinking. I'll post a link
YouTube - Mardi Gras Mamou Style
Mardi Gras de Mamou - American Profile (http://www.americanprofile.com/spotlights/article/20689.html - broken link)
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