I have made a discovery. New Year’s is the everyman’s Mardi Gras!
“Oh, no, ma cherie!” I hear you shouting. “Isn’t Mardi Gras the everyman’s Mardi Gras?” Well, sure. In a way it is. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a big parade, some bead throwing, some boob flashing, great food, lots to drink, and one hell of a great time enjoying the excesses of life.
First, let’s give credit where credit is do. Mardi Gras and New Year’s are at least partially based on the Roman celebrations of Lupercalia and Saturnalia, Roman celebrations that were big on partying that just “coincidentally” happened around the same time of year as the brand new Christian holidays of Lent and Christmas. Lupercalia and Saturnalia were in fact probably based on even earlier Pagan holidays celebrating the seasons, which made them, I’m pretty sure, original everyman holidays.
The thing is, Mardi Gras really is a Catholic sort of thing. It started life as Shrove Tuesday, which was the last day to feast on the non-approved food before the fasting and strict diets of Lent. It was also a day to confess and find absolution for those sins you might have hanging around unforgiven before you actually entered the Holy Season. So, basically, medieval Catholics would spend the days leading to Lent partying like it was 1099, ending with a final blowout on Shrove Tuesday and a few confessions and before heading into the month of deprivation and prayer with their stomachs full and their consciences empty, ready to recommit themselves to their religious promises.
Or you could put it this way. They had themselves a great party, full of food, drink and access and then left it all behind them resolving to be better in the upcoming year.
These days we mark Lent partly by resolving to give up something we particularly like. Some people fast. Some people stop watching television. Some people give up chocolate. On New Year’s we make resolutions to do things we don’t particularly like. Some exercise, others read more. Some resolve to give up chocolate. Then we, except for the most strong willed of us, try really hard for about a week and then give up. It’s tradition.
So New Year’s is Mardi Gras gone global. It has circled round and gone back to its ancestral roots to become the everyman’s Mardi Gra.
Barb's Blog 