Whether known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras (i.e. Fat Tuesday), Fastnacht, Fettisdagen, or Carnival, Catholic-influenced cultures around the world celebrate the day before the Lenten season with gastronomical delights, and festive celebration and costume. The. reason? Forty days of fasting and penance begin the next day, and you'd like some great memories to carry you through.
My experiences have been limited to New Orleans, where the Mardi Gras celebration begins with parades and parties during the weeks leading up to the event. Impressive parades with elaborately costumes participants and floats occur, many of which are presented by krewes. Each krewe has a unique history and theme that can go back decades. The most popular honor gods and cultures like Endymion, Bacchus, Zulu, Orpheus and the Muses. The Mardi Gras Indians have paraded for over 100 years. All raise donations to help their communities and charities.
New Orleans is also rich in its musical heritage, having been influenced by the meshing of cultures and periods, so it's not unexpected that songs about Mardi Gras exist. Here's a few of the most popular that you'll here filling the streets and alleyways, as performed by legendary New Orleans musicians:
Go To The Mardi Gras (performed by Professor Longhair)
Mardi Gras Mambo (performed by The Meters)
Bourbon Street Parade (performed by Doreen's Jazz Band)
#mardigras
#shrovetuesday
#threetunetuesday
#ttt
#creativeworkhour
#CWH
