Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday” hits high gear today. This is the culmination of “Carnival” season which begins 12 days after Christmas. “Shrove Tuesday”, “Fat Tuesday”, or “Pancake Day” (as it’s called in England) is celebrated by Catholics throughout the world. It’s the day before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of the Lenten Season) and it is celebrated around the world. Some of the more famous locations for Mardi Gras are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Venice, Italy; Belgium; and along the United States Gulf Coast.
Mardi Gras is the mother of all parties. It is the big blow out where literally anything goes. One final bender before Ash Wednesday, when many of the celebrants will visit the local Catholic church and walk around the rest of the day (hung over) with a charcoal thumb print of a priest on their foreheads.
Best I can tell, the first Mardi Gras observed on American soil, took place in 1703 in the French settlement that is now Mobile, Alabama. The celebrations quickly spread to towns like Biloxi, New Orleans and other settlements throughout the French possessions which would later become Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Although there is a running argument between Mobile and New Orleans about who claims first rights to Mardi Gras in America, when most of us think of Mardi Gras, we envision the blowout in The Big Easy.
Parades go on for over a week before Fat Tuesday, as Krewes of wildly costumed celebrants march through the streets or ride on huge floats throwing beads and worthless trinkets to the eager crowds. Folks seem to go crazy and will do nearly anything to get the “throws” that really have little to no value at all. After the parades the beads hang from low tree limbs and power lines and litter the “neutral ground” medians of streets like St. Charles, Canal, and Gentilly Blvd. The Krewes hold masquerade balls and other celebrations throughout the area. While the celebrations and parades take place all over the New Orleans area, the French Quarter is “ground zero” for the Mother of all Parties. Just about anything goes on Bourbon Street throughout the year. Mardi Gras is even worse.
The Crescent City police officers will show great restraint throughout the day and evening, arresting only the most disorderly belligerent drunks or those involved in activities that are deemed too lewd for even Fat Tuesday in the Quarter. However, when the clock strikes midnight, the police will move in en masse to drive the crowds from the streets. The cops are followed closely by the fire hoses and street sweepers deployed to clean up the mess left behind by the revelers. The photos above show a couple of views of the crowd. I have declined to show any close up pictures since this blog IS a family friendly site!
Fat Tuesday is the biggest day of the year in New Orleans. Schools are closed all week. Many businesses will be shut down. Crime and violence will increase. In fact, two people were shot and killed at one of the Mardi Gras parades last week. These were the 18th and 19th homicides in New Orleans since January 1. In the midst of this setting, the little Vieux Carre’ Baptist Church, located on Dauphine Street (just off Bourbon Street) is housing a group of volunteers who will be confronting the culture with the Good News of Jesus Christ in the heart of Satan’s playground. These folks will be witnessing, passing out gospel tracts and Bibles, and generally offering meaning to the revelers who are looking for something – but don’t know what. Will they make an impact today? Probably not visibly. However, seeds sown in the midst of the biggest drunken revelry in the country, just might take hold. Only God knows the outcome. These folks are just determined to do their part and leave the rest to God.
Most folks would not think of finding a Southern Baptist Church in the Quarter, but there it is – a lighthouse in a dark place, not only on Mardi Gras – but every day of the year. Pastor Greg Hand and his wife, Wren, minister in a culture that is foreign to most of us. It’s certainly “not your grandma’s Baptist Church”, but it is a Christian witness in the Quarter, nonetheless.
If you would like to know more about the ministry of Vieux Carre’ Baptist Church, click on the following link for Baptist Press’ article “Where Voodoo and Christianity Collide”.
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=26257
Pray for New Orleans. As Joe McKeever says, “Pray big for New Orleans”. Certainly at Mardi Gras time, but all year round. It is a fertile field for mission.
Mardi Gras is the mother of all parties. It is the big blow out where literally anything goes. One final bender before Ash Wednesday, when many of the celebrants will visit the local Catholic church and walk around the rest of the day (hung over) with a charcoal thumb print of a priest on their foreheads.
Best I can tell, the first Mardi Gras observed on American soil, took place in 1703 in the French settlement that is now Mobile, Alabama. The celebrations quickly spread to towns like Biloxi, New Orleans and other settlements throughout the French possessions which would later become Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Although there is a running argument between Mobile and New Orleans about who claims first rights to Mardi Gras in America, when most of us think of Mardi Gras, we envision the blowout in The Big Easy.
Parades go on for over a week before Fat Tuesday, as Krewes of wildly costumed celebrants march through the streets or ride on huge floats throwing beads and worthless trinkets to the eager crowds. Folks seem to go crazy and will do nearly anything to get the “throws” that really have little to no value at all. After the parades the beads hang from low tree limbs and power lines and litter the “neutral ground” medians of streets like St. Charles, Canal, and Gentilly Blvd. The Krewes hold masquerade balls and other celebrations throughout the area. While the celebrations and parades take place all over the New Orleans area, the French Quarter is “ground zero” for the Mother of all Parties. Just about anything goes on Bourbon Street throughout the year. Mardi Gras is even worse.
The Crescent City police officers will show great restraint throughout the day and evening, arresting only the most disorderly belligerent drunks or those involved in activities that are deemed too lewd for even Fat Tuesday in the Quarter. However, when the clock strikes midnight, the police will move in en masse to drive the crowds from the streets. The cops are followed closely by the fire hoses and street sweepers deployed to clean up the mess left behind by the revelers. The photos above show a couple of views of the crowd. I have declined to show any close up pictures since this blog IS a family friendly site!
Fat Tuesday is the biggest day of the year in New Orleans. Schools are closed all week. Many businesses will be shut down. Crime and violence will increase. In fact, two people were shot and killed at one of the Mardi Gras parades last week. These were the 18th and 19th homicides in New Orleans since January 1. In the midst of this setting, the little Vieux Carre’ Baptist Church, located on Dauphine Street (just off Bourbon Street) is housing a group of volunteers who will be confronting the culture with the Good News of Jesus Christ in the heart of Satan’s playground. These folks will be witnessing, passing out gospel tracts and Bibles, and generally offering meaning to the revelers who are looking for something – but don’t know what. Will they make an impact today? Probably not visibly. However, seeds sown in the midst of the biggest drunken revelry in the country, just might take hold. Only God knows the outcome. These folks are just determined to do their part and leave the rest to God.
Most folks would not think of finding a Southern Baptist Church in the Quarter, but there it is – a lighthouse in a dark place, not only on Mardi Gras – but every day of the year. Pastor Greg Hand and his wife, Wren, minister in a culture that is foreign to most of us. It’s certainly “not your grandma’s Baptist Church”, but it is a Christian witness in the Quarter, nonetheless.
If you would like to know more about the ministry of Vieux Carre’ Baptist Church, click on the following link for Baptist Press’ article “Where Voodoo and Christianity Collide”.
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=26257
Pray for New Orleans. As Joe McKeever says, “Pray big for New Orleans”. Certainly at Mardi Gras time, but all year round. It is a fertile field for mission.
For that matter, so is YOUR neighborhood!
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