Purple, green and yellow beaded necklaces covered a table in the Saint Mary’s student center on Tuesday. The tabling event, organized by junior Angelina Wright, was to showcase Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday.” The holiday marks the final day before Ash Wednesday, which signifies the start of the liturgical season of Lent. The season commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
“During the weekend, there are different parades and then Fat Tuesday is just one special day that everyone celebrates. It’s a day of harder partying and then a gathering with your friends and family to eat. It was recognized by Louisiana in the 1700s,” Wright said.
Wright, who is originally from Louisiana, organized the tabling not only for students to learn more about the holiday but also for students who celebrate it to still be able to. Wright said the event was a way for her to bring the holiday and its culture to the College, discussing the event's history. She explained how it's celebrated in Louisiana.
“They do different types of parades, carnivals and balls,” Wright said.
Wright was handing out different items that represented Mardi Gras and displayed signs to tell people about the holiday and the student diversity board, which hosted the tabling.
“They had beads and you could also get beignets. You could also scan a QR code and they would give you the general information about the history of Mardi Gras,” said sophomore Clara Beatty.
Wright explained that the different items and foods that were being handed out are important aspects of the traditions for Mardi Gras.
“The purple, green and gold are staples for Mardi Gras. It’s been those colors for a while, there's not any historical background for it. They use them because they are vibrant colors. For the beignets, it was an easier thing to do. It’s just a donut with powdered sugar on top and it’s a staple in Louisiana. It’s a staple in New Orleans,” she said.
Most students who attended the tabling event understood the basics of what Mardi Gras is but didn't have in-depth knowledge of why it is celebrated, Wright said.
“I knew it was Mardi Gras because I study French, so that’s kind of part of the French culture. The girls seemed like they were having a good time so I decided to stop by,” Beatty said.
The student diversity board wanted to put a specific emphasis on the historical background of the holiday and the traditions that go into it, Wright said.
“I feel like it’s good to have this and be aware of the celebration of it. It’s a lot of everybody's culture as well, it was formed in Rome during the 1500s and then it was part of the French tradition," she said. "It was then brought here to the United States, mainly in the south, in Louisiana and Alabama. I feel like it should be celebrated everywhere because it’s a part of the United States history and their culture."
