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The Mardi Gras
Dance Party on Saturday, March 2, 2019 will be at the BMNECC Hall in
West Homestead. Included in the $10 admission (kids are free) is a dance
lesson starting at 7:30, followed by live music by Grand Bon Rien,
Pittsburgh's traditional Cajun band, starting at 8:30. We encourage you to
come in costume -- there will be awards for best costumes after the
"courier" (parade) between dance sets. Also, feel free to bring
a snack to share (not required). The hall has a great wooden dance floor,
a cash bar, and plenty of parking. No partners necessary, and we encourage
you to bring your family and friends. Hope to see you there on March 2!
Laissez les bon temps rouller…
The
Mardis Gras Season
Mardi Gras, which literally means "Fat Tuesday", is celebrated
the day before the beginning of the Christian Lenten period (Ash Wednesday
thru Easter Sunday). However most people are unaware that Mardi Gras is
not just one day, or even a few days. The Mardi Gras season of
celebration, actually starts on Twelfth Night (the 12th night after
Christmas), and lasts approximately a month! The festival ends at midnight
on Fat Tuesday when the courts of Rex and Comus meet and exchange
greetings.
This festival began in the middle of the second century in
Rome when the Fast of the 40 Days of Lent was preceded by a period of
several days during which time participants feasted on food and drink, put
on masks, clothed themselves like specters, gave themselves up to Bacchus
and Venus and considered all pleasure allowable. This festival spread to
Europe and other cities, and ultimately made its way to New Orleans in 1827,
when a group of students donned costumes and paraded thru the streets of New
Orleans upon their return from the Mardi Gras celebration in Paris.
Mardi Gras has grown immensely from its humble beginnings in
South Louisiana in the 19th century, and is now attended throughout each
season by millions of tourists.
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The Annual Holiday Ball