Description

Vertical Stripes Purple Yellow Green Butterfly T-Shirt

Mardi Gras color inspired apparel.

History of Mardi Gras:

“Mardi Gras” is French, meaning “Shrove Tuesday”. Shrove is derived from shrive, which is a confession of sins in preparation for Lent. Mardi Gras is a holiday accompanied by many food customs, such as the eating of pancakes. Thus Shrove Tuesday also goes by the common name… “Fat Tuesday”!

Mardi Gras is a religious mix holiday with Pagan origins with Christian Catholic overlays that predates the Middle Ages of Europe.

Mardi Gras is simply the last day in the Epiphany. The Epiphany? Well what is the Epiphany? To better understand Mardi Gras, it is best to explain how the day fits into Christian holidays in the 3 months of Christmas, the Epiphany, and Lent.

Christmas
Christmas is exactly a 12 Day Christian holiday, and represents the Birth of Christ.

December 25th, signifies the start of Christmas, with the birth of the Christian Lord Jesus Christ. This day is known as “The First Day of Christmas”.

On January 5th, Christians celebrate the arrival of the Wise Men of the East, to visit newly born baby Jesus. This day is known as “the Twelfth Day of Christmas”… “My true love gave to me” ♪ . Perhaps one may have thought the song was all fun, and no history?! LOL. The Twelfth Day marks the final day of Christmas.

Epiphany
Epiphany is approximately a 6 week Christian holiday, and represents the Life and Embodiment of Christ.

On January 6th, Epiphany begins. The Epiphany is the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. In other words, Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God. He is baptised by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. This happens when Jesus is approximately 30 – 31 years of age. Jesus is followed by many peoples and devoted disciples during this jubilee time.

Christians partake in epiphany customs that celebrate the human embodiment. Christians revere in the body senses. Earthly sensual pleasures are celebrated. Smells, Tastes, Sounds, Sights, and Touch. Such custom activities of eating, drinking, music, dancing, and merriment.

Lent
Lent is approximately another 6 weeks of a Christian holiday, and represents the Death and Spirit of Christ.

Lent is the complete contrast to that of Epiphany: a serious, solemn, melancholy. Lent is the preparation of the spirit into the transition to the after life. During this time Earthly sensual pleasures are refrained from, to prepare the soul for the transition to the afterlife.

The Wednesday immediately following, is the first day of Lent. This is known as “Ash Wednesday”.

Lent finishes with Holy Week. God sacrifices his only son Jesus Christ, to pay for the sins of humanity. Good Friday, signifies the day Christ is crucified and dies on the cross. Holy Saturday signifies the day the body of Christ is laid to rest in the tomb.

Customs include spiritual disciplines to limit the body for 40 days! During this time, the spirit is quietly revered. Both Fasting and Abstinence are practiced. Fasting is reducing food intake, while Abstinence is the complete stop of any Earthly sensuality. The sacrifice being made by Christians is symbolic to the parallel of the sacrifice being made by God.

So now you better understand the importance of Mardi Gras.

In fact Mardi Gras is the last day in the greater holiday known as Carnival.

The celebration of Carnival overlaps the entire duration of the Epiphany. The first day of the Epiphany, is the official commencement the Carnival celebration! The party endures the entire length of the Epiphany. A plethora of eating, drinking, parades, balls, and merriment!

The big finale is on a mid-February Tuesday… that which is… Mardi Gras… Fat Tuesday! Let’s eat and get fat, before the fast.

Today Carnival and the last day Mardi Gras, is celebrated all over the world in Christian dominated areas.

Such areas are:

• Brazil – State of Rio de janeiro – Rio de Janeiro … (Largest Carnival in the World!)
• United States – Louisiana – New Orleans
• Greece – Athens
• Italy – Putignano – Metropolitan City of Bari
• France – Nice
• Spain – Sitges
• Portugal – Praia da Rocha
• Switzerland – Basel
• Germany – Holzminden
• Romania – Timisoara
• Belgium – Stavelot
• Denmark – Osterbro
• Netherlands – North Brabant
• Sweden – Stockholm
• United Kingdom – London
• Russia – Moscow