Fat Tuesday

Today is Fat Tuesday

(Mardi Gras)

The 12th day after Christmas is Epiphany (the day some believe the 3 Wise Men  visited the Christ child.  Epiphany marks the start of merrymaking that continues until the grand finale on Fat Tuesday (the last day of self-indulgance before Lent).

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday - the day is the beginning of Lent

(a period of prayer, penitence, almsgiving, and self-denial)

which ends with Easter celebration.

The above is the official definition of Mardi Gras

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Now, for my observations on Mardi Gras

Some people pay $2,000 to join a social club called a Krewe

Each person pays for their own

costumes, floats, beads to throw and ball gowns

Each person pays seven or eight hundred per parade for beads.

The Krewes do not seem to be civic or community minded,

other than parades and beads.

Every town, large or small has parades.

We have seen five.

The day of that Krewe's parade,

The Krewe rides around all day in a covertable bus, celebrating

In this picture, the Krewe in buses, along with their motorcycle escorts have stopped at the drive in Daquris Store.

The celebrating continues on the float.

Can you see the blue bottle being passed around?

(I guess Louisiana does not have public intoxication

arrests like Texas does)

Today, stores and businesses closed and

the revelry continues until midnight

Some of the floats are very artistic

And the floats are equipped with bathrooms.

Some have Children riding on them

  - Bored Children

Most parades have school marching bands

Most of the bands are all black.

 The Snyder Tiger Marching Band

never thought of the moves these kids have!!

Here's the Butterfly Queen

And the Swamp Monster Queen

Those are beads around her

 - there's some in the air she has just tossed.

Besides beads, they toss a little candy, toys, stuffed animals.

We've even gotten a VCR tape, silk flowers, 

and ramen noodle packets.

One guy was throwing dollar bills.

Parade watchers have to be careful not to get hit

 in the face by a handfuls of beads.

And speaking of beads

and more beads

After a parade, streets are unbelievably littered with beads that have not been picked up.

Hansel and Gretel wouldn't have any trouble

 finding their way home.

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Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday

All good Catholics will go to mass for the priest to anoint them with a little oil and ash, and prounounce forgivness of their sins.

Then they will give up something for Lent (until Easter)

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Like all the other good religious holidays and celebrations,

This one has turned into something that gives no glory to God.

For more information or history on Mardi Gras,

Try Google......

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Glory to God in the Highest!