Mardi Gras: As Seen On TV (NOT)

A cousin of my wife's is a Lutheran minister in the New Orleans area. A few days ago he made a blog post about the Carnival season (what most people know as "Mardi Gras" although that term specifically refers to Fat Tuesday only) discussing the religious roots of the holiday and challenging the media's portrayal of the whole thing as being all about debauchery and excess. In fact:

Mardi Gras is fun, and overwhelmingly family-oriented. It is a Christian festival, as it is tied to the Church calendar, and is a part of the cycle of feast and fast (even the colors of Mardi Gras are the liturgical colors of Epiphany, Lent, and Easter). Families and friends gather to watch the parades, to talk, to sing, to dance, to eat scrumptious foods, to enjoy one another's company, and to just plain have a good time.

Don't miss the rest of the post here!