What
is interesting about Mardi Gras is that many people do not realize
how deeply rooted it is in Catholic
tradition. New Orleans is a Catholic city. The day of Mardi Gras is
determined
by what day Easter falls on during
that particular year. Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after a
full moon after
the Spring Equinox.
The Spring Equinox is when the day and the night are of equal length, whereas
a Solstice is when the day is either the longest or the shortest of the year.
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| 1866 Comus Parade |
From
Ash Wednesday until Easter, Catholics observe Lent. Mardi Gras has
been described to me in the past as
the "last hurrah" before a time of prayer and restraint and a time of
spiritual preparation
for Easter.
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| Sketch of 1912 Parade Float |
