Easter is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar. It coincides with Passover and occurs each year on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Therefore, Easter could happen on any given Sunday between March 22 and April 25 depending on the year.
The 40 days prior to Easter are called Lent. It’s a 40-day period layered with Biblical and historical significance. Forty days was how long Noah dealt with rain on the ark; 40 days was how long Moses was on the mountaintop; it was 40 days repentance given to Nineveh by Jonah; and perhaps the most well-known, it was 40 days in which the devil tempted Jesus as he prayed in the desert.
The word “Lent” comes from the German word for “spring.” Other languages, particularly Latin and the Romantic languages, describe the season as “the 40.”
The early Church practiced asceticism, or self-denial, during the lead-up to Easter. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like Him. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:5-6)
Lent is a time for self-denial and sacrifice, prayer, penitence and reflection. It begins with Ash Wednesday. But that day before Ash Wednesday gets the most notice: Fat Tuesday. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t seem to take note of the religious significance of this particular day.
Fat Tuesday is the English translation of the French “Mardi Gras.” The largest celebrations in the world can be seen in Rio de Janiero as “Carnivale” and, closer to home, along the Gulf Coast in places like Mobile and New Orleans.
Mobile is the home to the first Mardi Gras celebration in our country, having commenced in 1702. This year, the Pride of Tallassee marching band led by Dr. Robby Glasscock and Melanie Skeen will be making its first-ever appearance at a real Mardi Gras parade: the King Felix III parade Tuesday, Feb. 21 in downtown Mobile.
On Fat Tuesday, there were celebrations all over the world to mark the end of Ordinary Time for now, saying farewell to old ways with overindulgence in food and drink. Cleaning out the pantry and cabinet, finishing off all the sugary, bad-for-you food (and, for many, the remainder of their liquor) is the goal of Mardi Gras.
There are thousands of parades from one Krewe or another. Several years ago, a record-breaking 330-foot float appeared in New Orleans. Even towns with no connection to the original Mardi Gras — such as Wetumpka and Millbrook — have started staging parades and events in January and February. Schools in the Mobile area let out for an entire week in celebration of Mardi Gras.
When people mention Fat Tuesday, it sounds like a holiday soaked in grease. However, I like to think of it as a chance for a fresh start, for those New Year’s Resolutions to get a second chance.
During this 40-day period, consider some days of fast and abstinence as part of a self-denial plan. It has worked for many Christians for a couple thousand years. To escape our fast-paced world, occasionally we need to slow down and think about making it better — one person at a time — with a little self-sacrifice and soul searching.
Laissez le bon temps rouler!
Michael Bird is a music teacher for Tallassee City Schools.
