Fat Tuesday

The party has begun!!! It is Fat Tuesday at Mardi Gras!!! There are surely to be lots of beads, fried foods, lots of drinking which leads to massive hangovers and lots of celebrating. The cities of New Orleans, Venice and Rio de Janerio will all see a wild party like atmosphere. However, it was not initially meant to be this way.

Fat Tuesday was always filled with food and parties but it was meant to be so much more. Roman Catholic religion sets up a day of partying and eating to precede Ash Wednesday. It is a time to welcome in the season of lent where for 40 days prior to Easter Sunday. During the 40 days Catholics and a few protestant groups celebrate the season of Lent and prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with prayer, fasting and even abstinence

The large party like atmosphere that is often seen now on Fat Tuesday started back in Medieval times Europe. The French explorers brought Mardi Gras to the new world in Louisiana area during 1600s. The Mardi Gras Celebration continued to grow with the first parade taking place in 1837. Since that time Mardi Gras has continued to grow.

While Fat Tuesday is meant to be a Christian related holiday it truly has developed a flair of its own. The roots of another ancient Roman holiday that pagans celebrated may have its ties to Fat Tuesday as well. Lupercalia was a day held in honor of  fertility and springs bounty. The day was celebrated by drinking, dancing, sacrificing animals and enjoying the occasional orgy. However, while the similarities are close are the two holidays truly related??

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