It's FAT TUESDAY. . .

FAT TUESDAY. . .The French call it MARDI GRAS. . .and here I am, living in the French colonial town of Ste. Genevieve, the oldest permanent French settlement in Missouri. . .So, my natural curiosity wanted to dig deeper into it's history. . .I knew that Mardi Gras was one of the largest celebrations during the year in New Orleans. . .Although I have visited New Orleans many times, it's never been during Mardi Gras. . .The stories I've heard. . .

But, back to the history. . .

With a little research, I found that Fat Tuesday is the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) in the Western Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches. In the Protestant church I attended growing up, we were often told that Fat Tuesday was the last big party before Lent began on Ash Wednesday. . .and that Lent was a time we could observe or not, by giving up a favorite food. . .It was considered more Catholic in origin and we knew little about it. We had several Catholic friends, who did observe Lent, and I always admired their dedication.

However, in centuries past, the fast for Lent required Christians of every faith to abstain from all meat and food that came from animals, such as milk, cheese, butter, eggs and animal fats. These items had to be cleared entirely from the home. Nothing could remain of these foods, so on the day before Ash Wednesday, numerous meat dishes, rich breads and desserts became the last feast before the days of Lent, leading to Easter. Eat, drink, and make merry. For obvious reasons, the day became known as FAT TUESDAY. . .or MARDI GRAS for the French.

While not observed nationally throughout the United States, a number of traditionally ethnic French cities and regions in the country have notable celebrations. The festival season varies. Some traditions such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night to Ash Wednesday. This is the case in Soulard, an historic neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, also. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras-associated social events begin in November, with mystic society balls on Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday.

The festive "official" purple, green, and gold of the masks, banners, and decorations that adorn buildings are symbolic, derived from a theatrical costume made for a Shakespearean play, Richard III and worn in the 1872 parade in New Orleans. The clothing included a purple velvet cloak with green rhinestones and a golden sceptor and crown. Today these colors are still used--the purple symbolizing justice, the green for faith, and gold for power.

Alas, there are no such parades or official town-wide celebrations in Ste. Genevieve for Fat Tuesday. I have been told that years ago there were and it was a grand event. Smaller celebrations and parties exist now, including the Queen's Ball on the first weekend in February this year and many stores decorate their windows with a Mardi Gras theme and carry items to buy. I, for one, hope that there will be more celebrations in the future in which the general public and visitors can participate.

In the meantime, I'll have a little celebration of my own today. . .and maybe next year attend a Mardi Gras in Louisiana, where they sure know how to throw a party! I remember some of them well. . .(grin). . .

HAPPY MARDI GRAS, YA'LL