Written by Alexandra McClain
Harding students attending Mardi Gras sounds a bit strange. Surprisingly, it should not. It happens every year, but people just avoid talking about it for fear of being judged for attending such a “pagan” celebration.
Mardi Gras is actually rooted in the Catholic faith and is celebrated all over the world. It is a celebration before Lent. The month-long holiday culminates on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.
As a Harding Student who attended Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans, I found myself learning a lot about my faith. I learned the kind of Christian I do not want to be.
There were men and women in the streets of New Orleans using the stereotypically wild weekend as a platform for judging and condemning others. I heard street preachers tell people flat out that they were going to hell with no hope of redemption.
I do not want to do that in my Christian walk. While there are things that happen at Mardi Gras that are not in agreement with my faith, I see no reason why a Christian should not attend.
The way the spirit of the Mardi Gras season engulfs the city is intoxicating. Men and women don purple, gold and green clothing to represent justice, power and faith, respectively, while children hide behind traditional masks and sit in chairs affixed to ladders specifically fashioned for parade watching. Seeing the parades and the smiles of children when they catch the throws, the trinkets, beads or stuffed toy tossed from the float, is priceless.
Attending Mardi Gras was a very eye-opening experience. Until some friends from Louisiana convinced me that it was more than drunkenness and debauchery, I was among those judging attendees and now, having witnessed the family friendly aspects of the holiday, I appreciate it. It can still be a hotbed of corruption, but it is a celebration that a Christian can enjoy without compromising values.
