"Fat Tuesday" Wednesday
Mardi Gras, literally “Fat Tuesday,” has grown in popularity in recent years as an often raucous event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the “last hurrah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. What may be less known about Mardi Gras is its relation to the Christmas season, through the ordinary-time interlude known in many cultures as Carnival. Carnival begins on the 12th day of Christmas (Epiphany) and continues up to the first day of Lent (Ash Wednesday). Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning “farewell to the flesh.” Like many Christian holidays and seasonal celebrations, it likely has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons.
Lots of people would consider the events around Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil not to be particularly spiritually healthy occasions. There is a lot of flashing of body parts, writhing dancers, pagan terminology and mythology as well as excesses of most every kind. To the secular world, these events are held up as the antithesis of the Christian experience of Lent – somber, quiet, holy, chaste. The assumption seems to be that you have to be one or the other. Either you are bawdy or you are blessed. Either you are sensual or you are spiritual. Either you are holy are you are “holy smokes!”
Because of this kind of dichotomy we find ourselves as human beings fragmented instead of integrated. The truth is God made us like we are with our feelings and desires and attractions. God gave us freedom to create cultures and language and rhythm to dance to. God made you cute so quit pretending you are otherwise. We don’t have to abuse our bodies to celebrate them. We don’t have to degrade ourselves to have a great time. We can celebrate all the good gifts of God in our bodies, our lives, our relationships and our spirits. When we are able to integrate ourselves instead of fragmenting into distinct parts, we discover we have less need for the excesses that come from fragmentation.
The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes tells that us that there are appropriate times to do all the things that we as humans need to do with our lives. There are times to be quiet – to reflect, to ponder, to confess, to listen. Those are coming as Lent approaches.
It is also just as important to our spirits to know that there are times to celebrate – to shout, to scream, to exalt, to sing loud, to choose to be a blessing for our world.
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! (Let the Good Times Roll!)
Sources:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/MardiGras/ Catholic Roots of Mardi Gras.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday