"The History Of Mardi Gras" What Every Believer Should Know
What Every Believer Should Know From History.com
Pagan Origins
Mardi Gras (from the French words, meaning "fat Tuesday"), or Carnival (from the Latin words carn-caro levare, meaning "removal of flesh"), is a Christian festival that embodies many traditions that originated with the ancient Greeks and Romans--relating to their gods and religious festivals honoring spring fertility rites.
In the early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was unable to abolish all of these ancient traditions after converting pagan tribes to Christianity. The Church was forced to adapt many ancient feasts and festivals, originally celebrated in honor of pagan gods, to Christian beliefs. Today, revelers on parade floats still don the regalia of the Greek god of wine, Bacchus, during Mardi Gras celebrations.
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Why Mardi Gras Is Celebrated
Mardi Gras originated as a placating process within Catholicism to bridge the gap between pagan cultures and Christianity, but it has become world-famous as an opportunity to let one's hair down and not be held accountable for having a sinfully good time. Mardi Gras is celebrated in the Twenty-first Century because it is an excellent opportunity to have a good time. With the primary reason for Mardi Gras established, revelry, we can delve further into its origin to identify historical reasons for the season.
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday in French, precedes the season of Lent in the Catholic Church. Historically, Mardi Gras is linked to a variety of pagan celebrations that predate the origin of Christianity. It was common in the early history of the church to link pagan celebrations with Christian themes as a method of drawing converts into the church. Early pagan civilizations celebrated the change of the seasons from winter to spring in numerous ways, depending on the culture. These celebrations were about freedom from rules, constraints, and traditions. To convert pagan cultures to Christianity the church cleverly linked pagan celebrations to Christian context. So began the tradition of Mardi Gras as a time of celebration prior to the time of introspection and re-commitment brought on by pre-Easter Lent.
Although historically tied to European, Catholic religious tradition, Mardi Gras has become a world-wide celebration ushering in the New Year, spring, and Lent. It is one last opportunity to let go of controls prior to the season of Lenten focus. The early church capitalized on pagan celebrations as a means of creating religious union between pagan cultures and Christianity. The Roman culture's celebrating the feast of Saturnalia and the Feast of Lupercalia were precursors of Mardi Gras. These celebrations were a time of no rules or even of rule and role reversal. During the Middle Ages the church brought these celebrations under control by incorporating them into pre-Lenten celebration. It is as political as the concept of compromise. "Give a little to get a lot." By sanctioning the "Mardi Gras" revelry, although it typified behaviors the church frowned upon, and tying it to the time immediately prior to Lent, the church gained control of it.
Mardi Gras celebrations take place all over the world, although its modern roots come from predominantly Catholic countries. It is seen as a last chance to party, play, and have fun prior to the forty days of prayer, fasting, and giving alms that characterize Lent within Catholicism. Because most protestant churches do not focus on Lent in quite the same way as does Catholicism, the need (or desire) to go "hog wild" prior to a time of abstinence from pleasure doesn't have quite the same focus for protestants.
The early church traded a "get out of jail free" card, so to speak, represented by the Mardi Gras season, a time of excess, in exchange for an abrupt behavioral reversal during Lent, a time of self-denial and abstinence from inappropriate, self-serving behaviors. We celebrate Mardi Gras today because we want to, because it is a good excuse to party, and because it is exciting and liberating. Originally we celebrated Mardi Gras because it was a compromise between the early church and pagan cultures as a way to draw non-believers into the church.
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The History Of Mardigras Videos - History.comhttp://www.history.com/video.do?name=culture&bcpid=1681694254&bclid=1672161034&paidlink=1&vid=HIS_SEM_Search&keywords=mardi%2Bgras%2Bhistory&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mardi%20gras&utm_term=mardi%20gras%20history
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One departing question, "Would Jesus and the Apostles celebrated Mardi Gras?
Pagan Origins
Mardi Gras (from the French words, meaning "fat Tuesday"), or Carnival (from the Latin words carn-caro levare, meaning "removal of flesh"), is a Christian festival that embodies many traditions that originated with the ancient Greeks and Romans--relating to their gods and religious festivals honoring spring fertility rites.
In the early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was unable to abolish all of these ancient traditions after converting pagan tribes to Christianity. The Church was forced to adapt many ancient feasts and festivals, originally celebrated in honor of pagan gods, to Christian beliefs. Today, revelers on parade floats still don the regalia of the Greek god of wine, Bacchus, during Mardi Gras celebrations.
~~~~
Why Mardi Gras Is Celebrated
Mardi Gras originated as a placating process within Catholicism to bridge the gap between pagan cultures and Christianity, but it has become world-famous as an opportunity to let one's hair down and not be held accountable for having a sinfully good time. Mardi Gras is celebrated in the Twenty-first Century because it is an excellent opportunity to have a good time. With the primary reason for Mardi Gras established, revelry, we can delve further into its origin to identify historical reasons for the season.
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday in French, precedes the season of Lent in the Catholic Church. Historically, Mardi Gras is linked to a variety of pagan celebrations that predate the origin of Christianity. It was common in the early history of the church to link pagan celebrations with Christian themes as a method of drawing converts into the church. Early pagan civilizations celebrated the change of the seasons from winter to spring in numerous ways, depending on the culture. These celebrations were about freedom from rules, constraints, and traditions. To convert pagan cultures to Christianity the church cleverly linked pagan celebrations to Christian context. So began the tradition of Mardi Gras as a time of celebration prior to the time of introspection and re-commitment brought on by pre-Easter Lent.
Although historically tied to European, Catholic religious tradition, Mardi Gras has become a world-wide celebration ushering in the New Year, spring, and Lent. It is one last opportunity to let go of controls prior to the season of Lenten focus. The early church capitalized on pagan celebrations as a means of creating religious union between pagan cultures and Christianity. The Roman culture's celebrating the feast of Saturnalia and the Feast of Lupercalia were precursors of Mardi Gras. These celebrations were a time of no rules or even of rule and role reversal. During the Middle Ages the church brought these celebrations under control by incorporating them into pre-Lenten celebration. It is as political as the concept of compromise. "Give a little to get a lot." By sanctioning the "Mardi Gras" revelry, although it typified behaviors the church frowned upon, and tying it to the time immediately prior to Lent, the church gained control of it.
Mardi Gras celebrations take place all over the world, although its modern roots come from predominantly Catholic countries. It is seen as a last chance to party, play, and have fun prior to the forty days of prayer, fasting, and giving alms that characterize Lent within Catholicism. Because most protestant churches do not focus on Lent in quite the same way as does Catholicism, the need (or desire) to go "hog wild" prior to a time of abstinence from pleasure doesn't have quite the same focus for protestants.
The early church traded a "get out of jail free" card, so to speak, represented by the Mardi Gras season, a time of excess, in exchange for an abrupt behavioral reversal during Lent, a time of self-denial and abstinence from inappropriate, self-serving behaviors. We celebrate Mardi Gras today because we want to, because it is a good excuse to party, and because it is exciting and liberating. Originally we celebrated Mardi Gras because it was a compromise between the early church and pagan cultures as a way to draw non-believers into the church.
~~~~~~~~~
The History Of Mardigras Videos - History.comhttp://www.history.com/video.do?name=culture&bcpid=1681694254&bclid=1672161034&paidlink=1&vid=HIS_SEM_Search&keywords=mardi%2Bgras%2Bhistory&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mardi%20gras&utm_term=mardi%20gras%20history
~~~~~~~~~~
One departing question, "Would Jesus and the Apostles celebrated Mardi Gras?
Comment
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Comment by Eric Hancock on February 21, 2009 at 7:50pm
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I always knew that ,that day was not right ,,I look at that day the same way that I look at holloween
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Comment by Anna on February 21, 2009 at 4:04pm
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Sister many thanks for your words of affirmation.
We are scripturally enjoined to "contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints".
Since this has been neglected the church has absorbed much paganisms/idolatries, of which we are admonished to flee, beginning in Acts 15. With the end times upon us, we must resume being like the Bereans and search the scriptures to see if what is being taught lines up with the Word of God.
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Comment by Tara Robinson on February 21, 2009 at 2:35pm
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i just love all the insight you give to the history of celebrations thank you for the teaching.
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