While not observed nationally throughout the United States, this coming Tuesday a number of traditionally ethnic French cities and regions in the country will hold notable and unique celebrations on “Fat Tuesday.” The history of Mardi Gras can be traced back to the Second Century when, during mid-February, ancient Romans would celebrate Lupercalia, a circus-type festival which was, in many respects, quite similar to many of our present-day Mardi Gras festivities.
When Christianity replaced Roman deities, the leaders of the early Church decided it would be more prudent to incorporate certain aspects of such pagan rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. Thus evolved a Christian interpretation to the ancient celebration.
Mardi Gras is a day of abandon and merriment which precedes the start of the Lenten season; a 40-day period of fasting and penitence which commences on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras celebrates our basest human proclivities of excessive eating, drinking, and general indulgence as a precursor to our embarkation on a spiritual journey of abstinence in preparation for the culmination of our Christian faith – Jesus’s death and resurrection and His promise of eternal life to all His believers.
It might be easy for some to sense a dichotomy between the raucous traditions of Mardi Gras and the seriousness of the Lenten period. I disagree. From Genesis to Revelations, the Bible is replete with references to feasting and celebration. Too often, we associate the shunning of our humanness as the proper path to holiness. There are some who embrace a monastic life and, in so doing, eliminate virtually all of the worldly influences in favor of solely focusing on the Divine. Most of us, however, do not. We live in a world surrounded by good and bad, happiness and sadness, feast, famine, love, and hate. As a result, often we fall into the trap of taking ourselves and the events that surround us way too seriously.
Mardi Gras is a day cleansed of all worldly seriousness. It is a day when the most starched-shirt executive can shed his corporate vestments for those of a clown and compete with the common masses for the opportunity to catch a treasure trove of worthless trinkets. There are no “deadlines” or “bottom lines” encountered on Mardi Gras – only line dancers and parade lines. There is no worry about our national debt or collective bargaining of teachers or NFL players. There is no democratic or republican vitriol drowning out rational discourse. Those will all return on Wednesday, but next Tuesday is a day dedicated to not “worrying about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” Matthew 6:34.
G.K. Chesterton wrote that “The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly.” Occasionally, we need to lighten our load, disconnect, and just enjoy each other and the simple wonders that abound when the mundane trappings of our daily lives are shed. On Ash Wednesday we can begin the traditional serious period of paying humble and reverent homage to our faith, but, on Mardi Gras, let us revel in the God-given tradition of celebration!
Taking ourselves lightly is joining the angels, so take advantage of the occasion this Tuesday and fly.
“Throw me something, Mister, and laissez les bon temps roulez!”
Mardi Gras is the love of life. It is the harmonic convergence of our food, our music, our creativity, our eccentricity, our neighborhoods, and our joy of living. All at once. –Chris Rose
Have an AWE-full Mardi Gras Weekend!
William “Bill” Bacque