www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Eastern Catholic Mardi Gras?

Dear Friends,

As some of you are beginning the Great Fast ( ), can EC's celebrate a form of "Mardi Gras?"

When would they do it?

Alex

Here's a Rusyn version:

http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/customs/fasengy.htm

--tim

Between Epiphany and the Great Fast?

Dear Tim,

I absolutely LOVE it!!

Thanks for that wonderful link!!

Alex

Dear Charles,

And New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras all year - as you know!

We were there for my wife's birthday in December one year.

My wife looked up at the people hanging out the windows in the French Quarter and yelled, "Hey, It's my birthday!"

And someone threw her some beads . . .

I, on the other hand, just had to cast a simple glance at a middle-aged lady to obtain several sets of beads . . .

Alex

bet you made her day!
Much Love,
Jonn

Dear John,

It would appear so . . .

And it feels great whenever I can make my fellow Americans happy, one at a time . . .

Alex

only in America!

In Athens there is quite a "carnival" just prior to Clean Monday - and as I reported a while back, it often keeps going for a few more days. Anyway, it's fun to see so many people, children and adults, wending their way through the streets of Athens, mostly on their way to or from parties. Plan now and avoid the rush. So far as I know, no one has yet laid on charter flights for "Carnival in Athens", but no doubt it's just a matter of time. Does anyone know if something similar happens in the larger Greek communities in North America?

Incognitus

Dear Friends,

As I understand it, "Carnival" in New Orleans is the period from Epiphany to Mardi Gras, whenever that is.

?

Alex

Glory to Jesus Christ!

As a child I can recall the last celebration before Lent at our parish.

On the last Saturday evening before the Great Fast the parish held a dinner dance. Lots of celebration, food, music, etc.

Then during the evening dance, everything would stop. They would take the bass fiddle from the orchestra and begin what amounted to a funeral procession, a funeral for the bass fiddle. That signified that during the Great Fast (we only called it �Lent� in those Latinized days) there would be no dancing and no celebration of this sort.

The funeral procession was, of course, a mock funeral. But everyone joined in. The women began loud weeping at the passing of their dear friend, the bass fiddle. Men were somber, and the procession took one turn around the dance hall, and then out of the room. The celebration was over. Lent had begun.

We did this for a number of years and everyone looked forward to it. I have not heard of anything similar in current years.

My prayers are with you for a blessed Great Fast.

Deacon El

Last year was my first Lent in a Byzantine church, and I was still going back and forth between that and the Latin Rite. So on both the Sunday of Cheesefare AND "Fat Tuesday", I celebrated my own personal dual Mardis Gras!

This year I decided to choose a calendar and stick with it, so this morning I kept my usual schedule (instead of going to Ash Wednesday Mass) and will go to the Liturgy of the Presanctified tonight.

But I must admit, it felt kind of funny not to get my ashes this morning. Force of habit, I guess - but it is a very powerful symbol. Maybe next year I'll go back to the double whammy.

Hello Dolly!

I always went to receive the Ashes on Ash Wednesday when I was at St Michael's College.

And even at that tender age, I would tell my teachers about the Eastern Catholic Churches and scold them (respectfully) when they referred to them as the "Byzantine Rite of the RC Church."

One year, a priest-teacher I knew well was blessing with the ashes and he made an Orthodox Cross on my forehead . . .

He told me he wanted me to feel comfortable about the whole thing etc.

Have you ever been to New Orleans to get the beads?

Alex

No, I've never been to N'ohleens but I've read (almost*) all of Anne Rice's novels - does that count?

(*I'll just let you guess )

I must admit, I always thought of the ashes of Ash Wednesday as a very powerful sacramental sign for the beginning of Lent....

Alice, who wishes all her Latin brethren a most holy, spiritual and blessed Lent.

Dear Alice, Yes indeed the ashes and words : "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," are certainly powerful. And, it becomes more powerful, when you realize that the ashes come from last year's Palm Sunday's palms. Vito

Alice, I too have always considered attendance at Ash Wednesday services and especially the reception of ashes to be a complimentary penitential sign of our entering into the Great Fast. Nothing wrong with repenting with "both lungs".

Dear Dolly,

Yes, N'Awlins is simply an amazing place!

Around March 19th, they construct indoor and outdoor "St Joseph Altars" and even display them as one would a well-appointed Christmas tree.

I once suggested to a UGCC parish to construct a St Joseph Altar in order to formally greet their bishop whose name is "Joseph."

He loved it!

Alex

Alex, The St. Joseph altars are Sicilian tradition so I'm assuming that's how they appear in New Orleans. Right? Vito