Perhaps you aren’t familiar with the Krewe de Jieux, the group of Jews who’ve been marching in the Krewe de Vieux (one of Mardi Gras’ opening parades in New Orleans) for about a decade now. Pretty crazy stuff if you ask me, but not totally shocking in a world where Jewish frat boys swig green beer for Saint Patricks Day. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one can hardly fault the Jewish Community of New Orleans for joining their larger community in a celebration of their survival.
After all, celebrating survival against ridiculous odds is a Jewish tradition!
But it would seem this isn’t an isolated thing… it would seem Jews are fattening up their Tuesdays in a number of ways. (and I’m not just talking about dumb drunk people we have to apologize for). Last year a second “Krewe”, Krewe du Mishigas, joined up for the Krewe du Vieux, and in Australia a group of GBLT Jews joined up for a float sponsored by the Dayenu Association.
So it’s a trend!
But it has me wondering… do you know what Mardi Gras is?
Mardi Gras far predates the history of beads and boobies in the Crescent City of course. And as most people realize, it’s the day before the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday— a last chance to get your rocks off before you have to deprive yourself of fun.
Like throwing down before Yom Kippur I guess.
But that’s no small thing—it signifies something very real for Catholics. In many ways it’s the midpoint between Christmas and Easter, two holidays Jews tend to get itchy about. Mardi Gras stands at the end of the Carnival season (which begins with the Epiphany). And it’s the very beginning of Lent (which kicks off the Easter season). So Mardi Gras is a strange kind of holiday for Jews to get Crunk on—the end of the celebration of Christ’s birth, and the beginning of the journey into his resurrection.
So—how’re you planning to celebrate the birth and resurrection of the King of the Jews?
Rumplemintz, anyone?