In my setting, I'm exposed to a lot of people day by day, and sometimes I meet people who are celebrating things I've never heard of before. It sometimes feels like a Spongebob episode, I'm talking to them and they might say something like "we're observing national hat day today" or "we're celebrating Hiawatha Day" (apparently that's August 22nd). How many of you can relate? Have any non-conventional observances (for a lack of a better way to ask)?
Mardi Gras does not get the love it deserves. It is a holiday explicitly dedicated to sin an excess. It's a day to spit in god's eye. It's a day to break rules and violate taboos. Mardi Gras without Lent is a top tier holiday. As long as you're careful not to observe Lent afterwards, you're free to call Mardi Gras a Discordian holiday. Valentine's Day is not the February holiday you can get me. It's Mardi Gras. Forget flowers. Find me a professional bakery king cake, preferably with a little baby Jesus in it to eat, and I'll love you for at least a while!
Wat. That's so weird to hear when you grew up in a Mardi Gras area. It's originally a catholic holiday where you get all your sins and urges out before you start your 40 days of pious Lent. In practice it's a massive racous party. In my life, we take the sin part very seriously.
Blame Cops and Live PD for that I guess. They both used to have Mardi Gras episodes every year and that's what it comes off as. In the first thirty seconds of every Mardi Gras episode, you can probably see upwards to a dozen people in costumes, sometimes dancing drunk on cars and making out (hence the jock part).
Drunken, costumed dancing and making out in inappropriate places totally checks out. But it's any and every type of person. Apparently Mardi Gras season brings over a million tourists to New Orleans every year. Make yourself one of them for the actual week of Mardi Gras, and you too can brown out, dance on a truck, and fuck a stranger behind a broken down float! Anyone can! It's a carnival of sin! Everyone gets to make mistakes!
Well it is a catholic holiday. Traditionally you then suck up to god for 40 days and 40 nights. I just choose to forego that part. Only transgress. Never feel guilt.