Life's a party! Join the fun at Catholic Newman Club's Mardi Gras Party on Monday, Feb. 12, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Greek Lounge in the Miron Student Center.
Mardi Gras is a huge celebration of life before the start of Lent. Lent is a Christian tradition where practitioners prepare for Good Friday and Easter through contemplation and atonement. Lent usually lasts about forty days. During the whole duration of the event, practitioners will usually give up something to symbolize the forty days Jesus fasted in the desert. In the Western tradition, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday in which practitioners will fast and receive penance. Thus, Mardi Gras came into fruition partly to celebrate and enjoy the fullness of life before devoting oneself to the traditional Christian practices.
Mardi Gras is often confused with Carnival. Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday, where as Carnival commences from Three Kings Day (Jan. 6) to the beginning of Lent. Carnival holds the lascivious parades and royalty usually associated with Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras's origins can be traced back to New Orleans when the French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville landed just a little south of New Orleans in 1699. Bienville later established New Orleans in 1718 where Mardi Gras would be widely celebrated by the 1730s.
Mardi Gras is usually marked by the colors green, yellow and purple. Rex, the King of Carnival, chose the colors in 1892. Purple is for justice, green is for faith and gold is for power. Mardi Gras is also known for its costumes, masks, food, loud music, parades, parties and fun.
The Catholic Newman Club hopes to demonstrate Mardi Gras with their very own Mardi Gras party. The party will feature a short talk on the history of Mardi Gras and how it is celebrated around the world.
There will also be games and lots of free food–namely Spanish food, Italian food, and an array of desserts. Attendees can enjoy all these things as jazzy, New Orleans style music plays in the background. To remember this fun event, Catholic Newman Club is also having a photo booth.
The event is free to the public and will take place on Monday, Feb. 12, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Greek Lounge in the Miron Student Center.
For more information, contact the Catholic Newman Club at catholic@kean.edu or 908-737-4835.
