Fat Tuesday

Yep, today is Fat Tuesday along with a new moon. Fat Tuesday is really Mardi Gras, "Gras" is French for fat and "Mardi" is French for Tuesday. Mardi Gras starts on January 6, the Twelfth Night Feast of the Epiphany, when the three kings are supposed to have visited the Christ Child, and build to a climax on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which always occurs on the day before Ash Wednesday. It is also called Shrove Day.

Many cultures celebrate this time in different ways although it is considered the time to party it up, and ....eat. It is a day when people eat all they want of everything and anything they want since the following day is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a long fasting period for Christians. In addition to fasting, Christians also give up something special that they enjoy. So, Fat Tuesday is a celebration and the opportunity to enjoy that favorite food or snack that you give up for the long lenten season.

The Polish celebrate Fat Tuesday with paczki (pronounced ponchki) which are pastries that are made from especially rich dough containing eggs, fats, sugar and sometimes milk. They feature a variety of fruit and creme fillings and can be glazed, or covered with granulated or powdered sugar. Never had one but heard they are delicious!

Venice is home to one of the most famous Carnival celebrations in the world, in addition to one of the oldest. The Carnival of Venice (or Carnevale di Venezia in Italian) was first recorded in 1268. While many cities and celebrations include parades with beads and coins thrown off floats, not all do. Panamaian cities celebrate by soaking people using water trucks and hoses. In Slovenia it is called Kurentovanje, from the word Kurent which is the name of a mask made of sheep skin and richly decorated. People make noise with bells attached on their hips. It's also one of the traditions to eat doughnuts. Eating pancakes is the tradition in Europe.

Well, I didn't celebrate by eating pancakes, paczkis or doughnuts. I didn't get one bead or see one mask or parade. I did get to research Fat Tuesday so that has to count for something, right?

And I did get to see the crazies that come with a New Moon. Lucky me!