Today is Fat Tuesday, the culmination of the famous season of Mardi Gras.
Debauchery. Bacchanalia. Floats, costumes, beads and masks, and lots of drinking and partying. That’s what we think of when we hear the term Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.
There is a lot more behind it. Also called Shrove Tuesday, it marks the last day of the liturgical calendar before Lent begins.
After Catholicism spread throughout Europe, many cultures celebrated the final day before Lent began in ways unique to that individual culture. Eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving rise to the term Fat Tuesday. In Poland, such things as lard, sugar, eggs, and fruit were forbidden during Lent, and the beloved pączki became a special treat for Fat Tuesday. In Detroit they still sell many thousands of them to long lines of people.
Enjoy your Fat Tuesday, and spare a thought to the next forty days. Why not observe Lent, and use the time to more deeply appreciate Christ’s sacrifice and his love for us?
I am sure you’ve seen people on Ash Wednesday with a cross traced on their foreheads. Many churches have Ash Wednesday services, and all are welcome. It’s a thought provoking way to begin your journey, to center and prepare yourself to make changes, to clean out some baggage and make more room for the truly important things.
This is a repeat post. I hope you will join us the next weeks as we look toward Good Friday and the Cross, with the goal of making ourselves a little more able to celebrate on Easter Sunday.
Enjoy!
Great Picture!!!
ZULU … where black-face is legal and throwing Golden Coconuts is illegal.
Also … the Easter Egg does not come from the Easter Bunny it is DELIVERED to good boys and girls AFTER 40 days of eggless by the Easter Bunny 🙃
I was Stationed Down There When ” Throwing Coconuts ” and CATCHING THEM Was A HONOR !
ONE of the Things in The World that HAS GONE ” soft “
a little piety goes a long way
Thanks Menagerie-
been gearing up…more visits to the Blessed Sacrament this Lent…
Spending time with Jesus, in Adoration, is a wonderful thing! He loves that we are willing to spend special time with him.
🙂
What an excellent way to spend Lent!
My goal as well! God bless you during this special season.
“Why not observe Lent, and use the time to more deeply appreciate Christ’s sacrifice and his love for us?” I am asking myself this very question and am ready! After a few pancakes this AM and finishing off a few other “questionable” behaviors/habits today I will tomorrow try to BE MORE LIKE JESUS. Thanks for the reminder Menagerie and Happy Mardi Gras to all. We can all be more like Christ, Let’s Do It!!
Thanks for the guidance.
Amen…thank you!
Check out Stella’s annual post for more on the paczki tradition. It’s a fun post. I was actually in Dearborn one year on Fat Tuesday and had some of these delicious treats.
https://stellasplace1.com/2023/02/21/paczki-day-detroit-style-aka-fat-tuesday-7/
I live in SE Michigan, it is truly a huge event here. I’m in TN visiting my friends and they have never heard of it.
You need to mail them out like Kingcakes.
I’ve never heard of them…..but they look delicious!
I live in SE Michigan also!I’m about 30 minutes SW of Hamtramck and the lines were still very long around here to pick up paczki s. I had a raspberry one last night, and I can tell you, they are still delicious! Please remember, times are tough now but always keep Hope and Faith in God. He will always carry us through! God Bless everyone!
In words from Godspell, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”
I wish we could be more appreciative of Christ’s sacrifice for us all year round, not just seasonally. Sad that we only think of it during Lent.
Well, as a TLM Catholic, I do try. Although I know PF does not seem supportive.
I don’t think we only think of it during Lent. Most Christians I know have Christ’s sacrifice front and center in their minds. Lent is a tool, one we can take advantage of to deepen our faith, expand our prayer life, and certainly remind us of our need to serve those in need, the poor, sick, and suffering.
Think of the fight or flight idea. Humans can’t stay on high alert every day. And we just naturally don’t stay in a spiritual hot zone all the time.
Additionally, I find the liturgical calendar we follow very useful in developing and growing my faith. Basically every year, starting with Advent, we advance through the life of Christ.
Indeed, yes. The liturgical calendar follows the entire Bible in three years time. Going to Mass and listening to, and following, the readings of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Gospel, all during one Mass enables the church community to “read” the entire Bible together. So, it behoves one to remain at their church for at least that long.
We have the sacrifice of the Mass and you can attend one everyday of the year but one. A crucifix is a cross with Jesus nailed to it, another reminder. Every Friday of the year, we abstain from eating meat, a small sacrifice to help us appreciate Christ’s sacrifice. We don’t only think of it during lent. Lent is 46 days. The old tradition was a fast for forty days, which excluded the six Sundays in Lent, which are still a feast day. That is a challenge, and a sacrifice. How many even try?
Thank you for the reminder. Spiritual introspection and watchfulness of God is never a bad thing and much needed in this quarter!
Happy Mardi Gras y’all! In Florida it’s just another Tuesday
If you know what King Cake is, you can get it shipped to you from bakeries in Louisiana. We loved the ones from Gambino’s when we lived there.
I actually go one from Publix….with a Little Baby Jesus
Gambino’s is awesome!
I stay away from the King cake, I’m the guy that always gets the bay leaf in the pasta sauce.
Thank you
All good points. Happy Fat Tuesday everyone.
Something this feels different this Lent for me. Seeing God move over the last serval years and feeling cleansed from all of the lies I have been subject to.
It is incredibly ironic there is an ad for Tarot card reading popped up on this page.
blob:https://theconservativetreehouse.com/17a86815-1dc2-43b0-8aa2-e81c7fd335db
Yes, those ads that pop up show the increasing presence of AI. I think the costume in the photo looks similar to Tarot cards, and that is why such an ad appeared.
Recently, I said “buying a red sports car” as an example of an unwise way to spend a lot of money, and lo and behold, what do I see in ads on my phone, but a red sports car.
There are so many increasing forces of evil around us. That is why we increasingly turn to the One who is the anchor of our souls in the midst of these storms.
I was talking about Elizabeth Holmes and the book about her, Bad Blood, Holmes created the fraudulent company Theranos that defrauded billions of dollars.
The next time I turned on the TV Roku, there was an ad for the documentary about her. I don’t remember if it was on Netflix or prime.
Creepy.
Depending on the apps you have – you are the product and they will do anything to sell ads. I would look at the settings buried in the app and you might find ok to use microphone..,
A reminder to me to get regular using my vpn.
I was editing this post to say:
Something this feels different this Lent for me. I just come through a short bout 3 days of illness (suffering) today I’m feeling a lot better. Before today I was not feeling totally prepared for Lent. In context seeing God move over the last serval years and feeling cleansed from all of the lies I have been subject to. A short bit of suffering I think my heart is now prepared for the next 40 days.
The coming Holy celebration the Passion in my mind is hard to sum up how Our God would take on all of our sin, the sins of the world is hard to imagine or even comprehend the suffering Christ went through. How great is our God?
I am praying this morning for God’s blessings on America. I also pray that all of the readers here take this time to seek out Jesus Christ through His word, his church and others to find the peace that surpasses all understanding.
It is incredibly ironic there is an ad for Tarot card reading popped up on this page. I don’t think I have been looking for dark spirits to read my future. I know all I need to know about what is going to happen.
Indeed! God is VERY great!!
Very easy to finish off the milk and eggs in one day; I can’t afford either!
Wishing a very blessed and sacred Lenten season to all.
May our Lord supply all your needs!
I’m actully looking forward to the upcoming Friday fish dinners served at churches. I am over the age where fasting is not required, but I attempt it. Sadly, I forget and slip up often.
Canon 1251: Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
I abstain from meat every Friday throughout the year. Vatican II did not relieve the restriction but if one decides not to observe this abstention, some penitential act is still required.
When abstaining from meat on Fridays was no longer required, I recall my dad saying: “Tough luck for all those chaps doing time on the meat hook in Limbo.”
“ Debauchery. Bacchanalia. Floats, costumes, beads and masks, and lots of drinking and partying. That’s what we think of when we hear the term Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.”
Never, Ever in my life, raised Polish and Catholic did anyone EVER think of Fat Tuesday as “debauchey, floats, costumes, beads, and MASKS, and lots of drinking and partying.”
I doubt very few Polish Catholics outside of New Orleans have ever equated Mardi Gras with Fat Tuesday. Actually, this is first time ever even heard the two connected in their debauchery…….
It’s a reference to Mardi Gras at large, not just Fat Tuesday.
Yep, that is the point,
“ Debauchery. Bacchanalia. Floats, costumes, beads and masks, and lots of drinking and partying. That’s what we think of when we hear the term Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.”
My wife is from Poland. They celebrate with packi on Fat Thursday. She received many messages last week from friends and family in Poland.
Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for keeping us grounded with you posts.
Coincidentally, we are driving across Louisiana today. We decided to take the northern route … 😀
But, the nice thing about Mardi Gras in New Orleans is that, if you have your wits about you, you feel perfectly safe. This is “very civilized revelry.” Don’t miss it …
(We also once got to tour a workshop where the “krewes,” many of them hundreds of years old, construct and store those incredible parade floats.)
The wonderful thing about “Nawlins” is that, here you are, minding your own business downtown, when suddenly a parade breaks out …
The Family ENJOYED the Festivals on The North Side of the Lake Pontchartrain and Down in St. Bernard Parish where we Lived the Best.
A pagan party to appease one’s gods and then to act out one’s neuroses…what could possibly be wrong with such an event?
If only these revelers could offer up some human sacrifice, then and only then would we others know the power they possess!
Perhaps the storm of all time might roll up to New Orleans and cleanse this vile city of it’s demons…where is my voodoo doctor?
I can see why so many think the religious right are too judgemental.
Geez…you speak of being “too judgemental” and there in your name “Ugly Cuss” one might find a too judgemental opinion…it’s like a snake eating it’s tail, is it not? Is it possible the Uroboros lives?
Historically, carnival began on Feast of Epiphany which was the 3rd most important Feast day. There would be a party with the King Cake in “Mardi Gras” colors representing the 3 gifts of the Maji. If you got the slice with the Infant Jesus you were supposed to hold next year’s observance.
Masked balls were the primary way to celebrate carnival. I think there may have always been parading, but I think the modern trend is tourism-related rather than authentic.
I think you have the right focus and understanding. Well done!
I am from Louisiana, have four daughters in New Orleans…. Just last night my daughter-in-law asked about Mardi Gras origin.
We are up to our eyeballs in King Cake.
God bless everyone today and always..
Oh, and Menagerie, thanks for the post.
We love you!
Les se bon ton roulette > but New Orleans exceeds my debauchery limit
Amen. The period of lent, before Easter, has become a powerful time for me over the years. Such an important time for spiritual development and introspection. May God bless you all with a lent filled with grace.
For my daily meditation, I will be using the newly released book “Aquinas’s Lenten Meditations”. I look forward to starting my 40 Days with St. Thomas tomorrow.
A Blessed Ash Wednesday and Lent to All.
OT from Lent, but I just went to the cam on Bourbon Street and there stands two guys on a corner, suit jackets, white shirts, ties, underwear, socks and shoes. I think they forgot their pants!
Having lived in New Orleans once upon a time, my LP/CD music collection includes the popular Fat Tuesday songs; and like my seasonal Christmas music, I’ll be listening to some Professor Longhair & The Meters today!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Blessed be our Great God, blessed be His Name.
The cross freed us, for certain. What all that entails and looks like, jus how sanctification develops over a lifetime is a topic worth considering.
Frankly not sure how dead the old man is if his cravings are released to run rampant.
Fat food for thought.
40 days, and 40 nights.
I once had a girlfriend who told me that we couldn’t have sex because she was giving up sex for lent. She said she was also giving up drinking, cussing, gambling, and cheating on her income taxes.
She said she was giving up all of her bad habits for lent except for lying.
I had one ole boy tell me he was giving up celibacy for Lent.
Another example of the freedom of expression that the Globalists/WEF want to put a stop to. Thousands of events like this take place throughout the world, throughout the year. And Klaus Schwab and his minions think the people are just going to roll over and comply? I believe there will be tremendous “push back” all over the world. People are just not going to put up with it. Freedom will win in the end. Do not comply!
I’ve seen Biden many times with a cross traced on his forehead.
Looks more like a Magen David to me. 😉
I no longer go to church. I realized quite a few years ago after watching a worship building going up, that it cost mega millions. “Money is the root of all evil”. I now worship in my garden, and give thanks for my daily bread.
The actual quote is “The love of money is the root of all evil.” We need to earn money if we aren’t on a self-sufficient farm, so it is not in itself evil. Loving money, lots of it, can erode the necessary virtues. The practice of giving your hard-earned money to the needy is the correction for greed.
Until you discover the collection plate goes to Mexicans at the border, and in exchange the church gets hand-outs from the government. I am not judging anyone for going to church, or earning money, but for me the church has changed, and moved away from God.
You can choose to give where you believe it will do the most direct good.
Worshiping in your garden is good.
Your comment reminds me of one of the many great quotes in Ayn Rand’s book Atlas Shrugged.
“Do you want to ask me now, who is John Galt?”… “So you think that money is the root of all evil?” said Francisco d’Anconia. “Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?
No, its things like this when people can’t afford a basket of groceries. Yet the lying church lies with its appeals for offerings. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7984735/The-Mormon-Church-kept-100BILLION-fund-secret-fears-members-no-longer-tithe.html
Daddy used to get up early on Shrove Tuesday and buy a doughnut equivalent at St. Ann’s Church. The ladies stayed up night and made them. They call them fasnacts (sp) and they were delicious. Always sounded German to me, but then Daddy was Pennsylvania Dutch (German).
What Mardi Gras became in New Orleans is a celebration of perversion, an excuse for its expression. It’s the truth.
I view it as representative of what the Evil One tries to do to anything in our lives, but especially anything concerning our faith.
Look at the perversion now happily pushed in many, maybe even most, of the mainstream “churches.”
Satan is always calling in some way; we have to practice turning away.
Yes, and now Fat Tuesday, the using up of all sugar and food perishables to prepare for fast is lumped in with Mardi Gras to justify partaking in the debauchery.
Not getting it. I must have been living a very sheltered, very Polish, and very Catholic life to not know they were the same tradition.
Have you ever seen movies that pull apart and ridicule the Muslim, or Jewish faith? No, but they do it to Christianity. Always check the surname of the producer/director to know where the evil lies.
Well, I think you are referring to Bourbon St, which is just a tiny portion of carnival in New Orleans.
Thank you for this important message in the midst of watching our country seemingly commit national suicide.
My husband and I have decided to give up sugar for Lent (except for Sundays, which are “Feast Days,” even during Lent).
No more chocolate or sugar and a solid attempt to root out two of my prevailing sins and a boosted Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. Which Our Lord told St Mary of St Peter was the way to defeat communism. Let’s all do this and finally route the enemy.
pączki? Polish donuts? … there’s a joke in there somewhere. But if I told it, I’d get cancelled … Right? Esp. since Jao Bidinh is visiting Poland today …
If you want to celebrate Mardi Gras, havé at it. Not for me. “Behold the old is gone, all things have become new.”
Romans 6
Well then, shall we keep on sinning so that God can keep on showing us more and more kindness and forgiveness?
Of course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don’t have to? For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the power of your sinful nature was shattered. Your old sin-loving nature was buried with him by baptism when he died; and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought him back to life again, you were given his wonderful new life to enjoy
Thanks for the reminder about Lent starting tomorrow.
I need to make a point of going to Mass more during the week along with any other indulgence I choose to pursue.
When putting ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross the Priest says “Remember, you are dust and unto dust you shall, return.”
“And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together.”
~ Ecclesiastes 3:20
Lent is peculiar to a specific religion. I prefer the basic principles of faith outlined in my KJV .
If you refer to Christian religion I agree.
And a Happy Pancake Tuesday.
Paczki from Country Donuts in Crystal Lake, IL. I’m not affiliated with them, just a paying customer every year. I look forward to them all year long! My neighbors are the best–since I don’t cook/bake much I deliver Paczki to them as a thank you and expression of love.
It’s not “Fat” it’s “I need to buy bigger clothes”
Mardi Gras is a family affair for New Orleanians. It just depends where you hang out. The French Quarter is but a small sliver of mostly tourists. We come home every year and get the extended family together for parades and food.
Just got back from Rex and on St. Charles Avenue away from the French Quarter, Mardi Gras is very much a family affair where you hang with family and friends and meet many new faces and friends throughout the day from here and everywhere of all socioeconomic backgrounds and colors. Everyone for the most part gets along and has smiles on there faces. My elderly MIL loved Mardi Gras and we remembered her fondly today❤️
It is the college kids and the tourists who partake in the “craziness “ that you hear about in the French Quarter.
Happy Mardi Gras Y’all !!!
My experience exactly. Also parades away from the traditional route.
GOOD!
God Bless America
And here I thought it was Fat Pride Day.
This is out of bounds.
I thought FJB was in Ukraine to pick up his 10%.
How’s he leading a parade in New Orleans?! Green screen much?