While the rest of the world is decked out in pink, red and white for Valentine’s Day, Louisiana coats itself in purple, green and gold in anticipation of Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras — also known as Fat Tuesday — falls on February 17 this year. The holiday takes place n the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent for Catholics. Lent is a 40-day period preceding Easter weekend where Catholics fast, pray and may abstain from indulgence, like drinking alcohol or eating meat.
In preparation for this somber undertaking, residents across the entire state of Louisiana (and other cities like Mobile, Alabama and St. Louis, Missouri) try to get the debauchery out of their systems while they celebrate Mardi Gras.
Rather than diving into the complex origins of the holiday which can be traced to medieval Europe, I will tap into going to tap into innate knowledge I possess as native Louisianan and let you know how we really celebrate.
Best articulated by its unofficial motto "laissez les bon temps rouler," which translates to "let the good times roll," Mardi Gras is all about letting loose and enjoying oneself. Louisiana, the only state where Mardi Gras is a legal holiday, celebrates in two distinct fashions: The New Orleans way or the Cajun way.
