Happy Mardi Gras!
I have to admit that I do not really “get” Mardi Gras. Is the idea to party so hard that you are asleep for all of Lent (or at least Ash Wednesday)? I used to think of Mardi Gras as Saint Patrick’s Day for French people. But businesses, libraries, and schools stay open in Boston on Saint Patrick’s Day, and I am not aware of people skipping Mass on the Sunday before Saint Patrick’s Day due to parties.
Hopefully I will understand Mardi Gras eventually, but in the meantime I am admitting that I am probably more English than French and going for more of a Shrove Tuesday approach. Does any else ever feel that “English” tends to mean understated and boring?
Also, I do not know anyone else who actually gives up dairy products for Lent, so how does the whole pancakes and doughnuts thing would work in reality? In any case, I think that I will be partying it up tonight with strawberries on our pancakes. Yum, right?
How are you celebrating this day before Ash Wednesday?
Personally, I always thought it was time for that one last indulgence of your Lenten sacrifice…. I say this as many people I know give up beer or alcohol in general, so they make sure to get one last one in. That being said, I never got the point of it either!
I’m caffeinating (not a word) it up today. Starbucks on the way home!
Rae – Haha…well, every Mardi Gras, I want to pig out…but I never do. We had leftovers tonight. I don’t know what I’ll do with my children in the future for Mardi Gras. I read your 33 things. I LOVE Kale too…have you ever cooked it in 6 quarts water w/ 3 TBS lemon fresh lemon juice, 4 cloves minced garlice and salt? DELISH. And…I was married 1 month before I turned 22. We are RARE!
We ended up going out for dinner, though it wasn’t originally planned. I was sick Saturday night and we moved our Valentine’s dinner to tonight. It’s the first time we’ve ever really done anything for Mardi Gras and it was a nice opportunity to sit and talk over dinner and review our Lenten plans. (I know, boring, but it worked for us).
Yes, the last indulgence before Lent. Our church usually has a big Fat Tuesday celebrate at church. Everyone brings an appetizer, the priest makes gumbo soup and provides drinks. We play music and socialize. This year it was cancelled so we invited some of our church friends over. I made a bunch of junk food and we played music, wore necklaces and socialized. We kid about it being our last indulgence but really it is an excuse for adult conversation and junk food at the same time!
Ha, I don’t even know what Mardi Gras is, and I’ve never done Lent before. I always envisioned Mardi Gras with the masks and parades…
One of my friends always hosts a big Mardi Gras party, complete with all the traditional foods and good music. It’s so much fun. We all share the King Cake and the recipient of the plastic baby Jesus gets to wear a crown for the evening. Alas, this year I had to go to budget meeting instead. Much less fun!
The tradition of Mardi Gras is fine with me- a last indulgence before Lent. Especially in the middle ages when fasting was more strictly observed, a day of feasting seems appropriate. But now… it’s taken a rather debaucherous turn. The excesses of drinking, gluttony, and all the sexualized bruhaha of New Orleans-style Mardi Gras aren’t doing anyone any good to prepare for Lent…
I’m definitely more of a “Shrove Tuesday” type of person as well – we definitely had tasty pancakes for dinner last night.
I gave up dairy products last year for Lent, so you wouldn’t be the only one.
I haven’t decided what I’m giving up yet…
I read somewhere that mardi gras (fat Tuesday) began centuries ago as a way of using up food that would spoil (in days before refrigeration) by the time Lent was over. The idea was to use it all up rather than let it go to waste. Now we have refrigeration, and saving food is not a problem, but apparently the tradition continued. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can confirm.
“Does any else ever feel that “English” tends to mean understated and boring?”
This made me laugh, being English!
But it’s true ~ we are traditionally quite a reserved people, stiff upper lip and all that. Pancakes is about my partying limit!
I am going almost vegan this Lent, apart from a few exceptions. I am vegetarian anyway, so that doesn’t leave me much, and one day in and I’m already finding it a challenge, but in an odd way I am looking forward to this season of “paring down”
Thanks for visiting my blog, btw
Mrs.P x