Hey - It's Fat Tuesday!

54/365. Can you believe I've been at this for 54 days already?

Happy Mardi Gras! Just having fun today.

Fun Facts about Mardi Gras:

• Mardi Gras is always scheduled 47 days before Easter (the 40 days of Lent, plus seven Sundays.)
• In 1857, the first krewe was organized. The Comus organization coined the word "Krewe" and established several Mardi Gras traditions: forming a secret Carnival society, choosing a mythological namesake, presenting a theme parade with floats.
• In 1872, Rex, the King of Carnival, selected the official colors of Mardi Gras: Purple, Gold, and Green Rex assigned a meaning to each in his 1892 parade, entitled Symbolism of Colors.
• Purple represents Justice
• Green stands for Faith
• Gold signifies Power
• The colorful worlds of Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology are the sources for many krewe names.
• A visit from the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff was the partial inspiration for the first appearance of Rex in 1872. The King of Carnival immediately became the International symbol of Mardi Gras.
• The final year of the past century (1899) saw snow in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, which fell on St. Valentine's Day. Legend has it that Rex paraded with a frozen mustache.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the start of 40 days of Lent. Catholics practice denial during this time period. We "give up" something as a way of repentence and cleansing. In the past I've usually given up soda, because it's one of my vices. However, seems this past Lent really helped me kick the habit, so I'm now having to think of something else to give up. Still thinking...