This Sunday there will be a Mardi Gras party during normal CCD instruction time at my church, this is between masses, 9:15AM to 10:15AM Sunday. To clue in outsiders, CCD is weekly K through 8+ catechism to instruct youth in the faith. I am bothered that parties gooble up three or more weekly meetings per year of the already brief CCD instruction time at my church. But today my question is, What is the real purpose of Mardi Gras? It seems to oppose the good intentions of Lent. The dictionary says Mardi Gras is:

1 a : Shrove Tuesday often observed (as in New Orleans) with parades and festivities b : a carnival period climaxing on Shrove Tuesday 2 : a festive occasion resembling a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras

In Detroit they call it "Fat Tuesday" and make packzki's. Paczki's are round, jelly or fruit filled pastries which are fried then coated with powdered sugar or glaze.

It seems that this pre-Lent indulging is not helping to get us ready for Lent. If I party it up I am not preparing by meditating on what I might give up or do as charity out of love of Jesus during Lent. I imagine this Mardi Gras or Paczki's binge is not of official Church origin. It reminds me of Halloween, seemingly set up to oppose All Saints/Souls days which are very solemn. But I do not want to stray from the question. Let's talk Mardi Gras and Lent or is it Mardi Gras versus Lent?

-- Mike H (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), February 05, 2002

Answers

Mike,

Want an unfounded opinion? Tough, here it is anyway. :-) Anyway, I think Mardi Gras probably did start as a night of whooping it up before Lent starts. I don't think that's bad though, if you've reflected on what you wish to do for Lent already, what's wrong with a celebration? If in some part of your brain you are thinking about your obligations for Lent *during* your booze-up, that's probably superior to most other booze-ups when you *wouldn't* be thinking about them!

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 06, 2002.

Jmj

Hi, Mike.
The reason they call it "Fat Tuesday" in Detroit is that "Mardi Gras" is french for "fat Tuesday." The French "gras" (fat) comes from the same Latin root as our English "grease." [If I give you my address, will you mail me some paczkis?]

Here are some excerpts from the old Catholic Encyclopedia's interesting article on "shrovetide:"

"Shrovetide is the English equivalent of what is known in the greater part of Southern Europe [and in Brazil (JFG)] as the 'Carnival,' a word which ... is undoubtedly to be derived from the [Latin for] 'taking away of flesh' ... which marked the beginning of Lent. The English term 'shrovetide' (from 'to shrive,' or hear confessions) is sufficiently explained by a sentence in the Anglo-Saxon 'Ecclesiastical Institutes' translated from Theodulphus by Abbot Aelfric about A.D. 1000: 'In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him ... .' In this name, shrovetide, the religious idea is uppermost, and the same is true of the German Fastnacht (the eve of the fast).

"It is intelligible enough [however] that before a long period of deprivations human nature should allow itself some exceptional licence in the way of frolic and good cheer. No appeal to vague and often inconsistent traces of earlier pagan customs seems needed to explain the general observance of a carnival celebration. ... The English custom of eating pancakes was undoubtedly suggested by the need of using up the eggs and fat which were, originally at least, prohibited articles of diet during the forty days of Lent. The same prohibition is, of course, mainly responsible for the association of eggs with the Easter festival at the other end of Lent. Although the observance of Shrovetide in England never ran to the wild excesses which often marked this period of licence in southern climes, still various sports and especially games of football were common in almost all parts of the country, and in the households of the great it was customary to celebrate the evening of Shrove Tuesday by the performance of plays and masques. ...

"The festive observance of Shrovetide had become far too much a part of the life of the people to be summarily discarded at the Reformation. ... [W]e learn from contemporary writers that the day was almost everywhere kept as a holiday, while many kinds of horseplay seem to have been tolerated or winked at in the universities and public schools.

"The Church repeatedly made efforts to check the excesses of the carnival, especially in Italy. During the sixteenth century in particular a special form of the Forty Hours Prayer was instituted in many places on the Monday and Tuesday of Shrovetide, partly to draw the people away from these dangerous occasions of sin, partly to make expiation for the excesses committed. By a special constitution addressed by Benedict XIV to the archbishops and bishops of the Papal States ... a plenary indulgence was granted in 1747 to those who took part in the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament which was to be carried out daily for three days during the carnival season."

St. James, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 06, 2002.

Frank and John

Thanks for the feedback and documentation. That does make sense. I enjoy a party too, even too much, so I just wondered. But from your history lesson I suppose I have company in the concern for caution. Moderation in all things (that are not sins) as St. Thomas Aquinas preached. Good lesson from him.

"[If I give you my address, will you mail me some paczkis?]"

I would John, I grew up in the Detroit area, lived in Michigan most of my life but now I live in Tennessee. Mardi Gras country. I could send you a 25 cent stran of Mardi Gras beads purchased from Party City for the kids' CCD party. We bought 300 for them.

I'll remember to have a little fun this week, thanks

God Bless You Mike

-- Mike H (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), February 06, 2002.

That's

God Bless You

Mike

I'm having fun already

-- Mike H (michael.hitzelberger@vscc.cc.tn.us), February 06, 2002.

I'll take a raincheck on the "Mardi Gras beads," Mike. My rosary is still in good shape. Too bad about those paczkis. JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), February 07, 2002.

Actually, the basis of Mardi Gras is not based debauchery. It began as a feast of indulgence, as those who observed Lent sated themselves before six weeks of denial and sacrifice. It was termed Shrove Tuesday, or fat Tuesday, because the people would gorge themselves, or fatten up, and then feel as they had covered their bases where consumption was concerned. It is a recent phenomenon for Mardi Gras to be seen as a licentious practice. Example of current mores in both missing the importance(meaning)of Lent, and seeking commercial gain. Fat Tuesday should be a day of recognizing the need for change, and preparing us to say so long to such vices that we hope to give up...and saying farewell to bad habits.

It does not mean we should bare our breasts and twigs and berries.

-- Melissa (holy_rhodes@earthlink.net), February 09, 2002.