Today is Ash Wednesday. Yesterday was Mardi Gras. Yesterday, while at work I asked one of my coworkers, who is a very intelligent woman with family in Louisiana, if she knew what Mardi Gras was all about… she admitted to not knowing the meaning or significance of the holiday. Causing me to realize the high probability that many others don’t know very much about the holiday either.

So, as a Louisiana native and a devout Christian, I think it’s my responsibility to break it all down and provide some clarity to the mystique of Mardi Gras.

The Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans is truly a season of the year in itself.

It is the premier tourist attraction to the state of Louisiana. People from all over the world come to New Orleans just to participate in Mardi Gras carnivals, parades, masquerade balls, and elitist high class parties. There is so much depth and history about it all.

Obviously when most people think about Mardi Gras, they think of the elaborate parade floats, people throwing Mardi Gras beads listening to loud music, drinking alcohol freely with friends, or taking a bite of King Cake… yet, I feel most have no idea of what Mardi Gras is truly about. It can be shocking to some when they learn that Mardi Gras is really about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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The Relationship Between Mardi Gras and Easter

Each year, Christians celebrate Jesus resurrecting from the dead on the first Sunday after the full moon after March 21st. That Sunday is called Easter Sunday. Most people know about Easter Sunday, regardless of their faith. What people don’t always know are all the things surrounding Easter. I will attempt to break down some of the notable celebrations surrounding Easter and explain how Mardi Gras fits in it.

• Easter Sunday – a day meant to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. It’s a Christian holiday that is similar to Passover, which is a Jewish holiday that celebrates their exodus out of Egypt. The word “Passover” is translated to “Pascha” in Latin and Greek… and Pascha provides the root for Pâques, the French word for Easter.
• Good Friday – the Friday before Easter. It’s known as the day Jesus was crucified on the cross.
• Lent – this is a period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) where people fast and practice holy behavior, imitating Jesus Christ’s fasting in the wilderness before he began his public ministry. A lot of people give up eating “flesh meat” (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) and only eat fish during this time.
• Ash Wednesday – the first day of Lent. It is very common, especially in the Catholic community, for Christians to place ash on their foreheads in a form of a cross as a sign of repentance and recognizing our own mortality.
• Mardi Gras – a French word that is translated in English as “Fat Tuesday.” It’s a day meant to binge on food and indulge in various pleasures, in anticipation of Lent, where they are fasting and practicing holy behavior up until Easter.

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This year one of my friends was crowned as the first black queen in the 93-year history of the Krewe of Alla. I can’t say I truly understand the significance of all the Krewes (social clubs) in New Orleans… but, I actually want to acknowledge and respect her huge accomplishment by learning about it. As Gian has brought diversity into areas many are excluded from.

There are multiple denominations within the Christian faith. I realize most Christian holidays, like Mardi Gras, have roots in Catholicism. Catholicism is literally intertwined within so many areas, including social and government frameworks in the state of Louisiana.

I actually lived in New Orleans during my mid-30s. I remember sitting in my apartment hearing the sound of people walking on the street. I was studying for my Masters degree at the time. I then walk outside to see a parade passing by. I’ll never forget not being able to drive (or leave my street parking spot) for days because the streets were blocked.

As a Christian who grew up in Louisiana… many assume I know everything about Mardi Gras. I admit, I probably know more than most. But, honestly I’ve never celebrated Mardi Gras, other than as a child in public school, since Mardi Gras is a state holiday in Louisiana.

If you read this whole blog… I hope you learned something and enjoyed reading it 🙂