Fat Tuesday

okay, it's Mardi Gras (trans. from French - "Fat Tuesday").
For those not in the know, this is a VERY catholic celebration. This wednesday is 'Ash Wednesday' which marks the beginning of Lent. To honor the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert (on a vision quest) catholics spend this time of the year, for the next 40 days, denying themselves treats, desserts, or other luxuries until about Easter. This has it's roots in the Northern European medieval issue of having no crops available during the winter and needing to survive for the last few weeks of winter on thin rations.

I say MG is "very catholic" because, as man developed more consistent food supplies, and there was no need to ration food during lent, the necessity of lent, became the burden of ritual. So, with larders full, good Catholics who were about to deprive themselves for over a month developed a celebration as one last hurrah before the unnecessary ritual began. This last whoop was held, as per traditional habit, the day before the holiness begins. In this case, tuesday. And the longer the depravation, the bigger the celebration, so the normal saturday hoopla became the year's decadence festival.

So enjoy, unlike Christmas, this one actually WAS invented by The Church, and unlike xmas, they don't mind sharing. :)