Is There More Than Beads and Masks to Mardi Gras? - A Little History Before the Season Ramps Up

Mardi Gras is known throughout the world as the pre-Lenten festival of New Orleans. In actuality, the holiday has its roots in ancient Rome as the circus-atmosphered orgy called Lupercalia. Lupercalia honored the god Lupercus, the god of fertility, agriculture and pastoral shepherds.

The Roman Catholic church eventually integrated Lupercalia into its pre-Lenten celebrations in order to facilitate an easier conversion of pagans into Christianity. With Lent being the 40 days of purification and penitence for Catholics, a pre-Lenten allowance of an "orgy" of food, drink, and the other self-indulgence involved in Lupercalia seemed to make enough sense to the Catholic leaders as a means of justifying an easier transition of new converts who enjoyed such merriment and might otherwise go reluctantly toward Christianity. The church's blessing of the celebration seemed to be a win-win for all.

As Lupercalia's acceptance migrated throughout the churches and villages of Europe and England, varied means of celebrating the last days before Lent were regionally devised and named. In England, Shrove Tuesday involves the preparation and enjoyment of massive amounts of pancakes as a feast, as well as sporting events involving the use of pancakes. Germany celebrates Fasching very similarly to New Orleans. It is the French who are credited with bringing what has become the modern New Orleans' Mardi Gras to the United States, as part of their landing in Louisiana in 1699.

For the period of 1699 to 1827, there are varied accounts of how Mardi Gras developed and with whom to attribute its more modern method and appeal. Regardless of how the pre-Lenten celebration derived, it is agreed by most that after the reinstated legality of wearing masks in the streets in 1827 (a practice banned during Spanish rule), the real good times began to roll. The people of New Orleans could once again celebrate in the streets and move beyond their private festivals and balls, into a city-wide celebration.

Today, the holiday is celebrated in New Orleans or Mobile style even far beyond the borders of the Crescent City. Belgium, Brazil, the Caribbean nations, Colombia, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden all celebrate Mardi Gras in varied forms. In America, it is a common theme for parties and parades from coast-to-coast with lots of colorful beads and masks as the costume accessory of choice.

Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at http://www.toomeys-mardigras.com.com. He writes about beads for Mardi Gras and other similar topics.