
From
Mardi Gras Unmasked.
Pictured above is a king cake or
gateau du roi, a tradition associated with the feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated in south Louisiana, French Canada, and France. At king cake gatherings, whoever gets the tiny baby hidden somewhere in the cake must provide the next king cake. The bakers no longer put the baby in the cake, because they fear litigation from folks who choke on it, swallow it, or break a tooth on it. The buyer assumes the liability of putting the baby in the cake. This is what our litigious society has come to.
I was going to write about the Carnival season in New Orleans, but then I found these lovely words from Rmj at
Adventus:
Today begins the season of Epiphany: celebrated by some; ignored by others. The "original Christmas," some say. Maybe; maybe not. It is a season separate from Christmas, but related to it; and in France and Cajun Louisiana, it is celebrated itself with King's Cakes and Gateau du Roi and parties and celebrations, right up to Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, when the shriven season takes over and Lent begins. It's the English who called it Shrove Tuesday, and taught that name even to my all but non-liturgical Presbyterian church of childhood, the day to "shreve" the cupboard of fats and oils in preparation for the fastings of Lent. The French Roman Catholics had the better idea: to celebrate the 5 or 6 Sundays of Epiphany, and carry it out right up to the last possible minute, the first stroke of midnight on Ash Wednesday morning. Jesus, tradition says, was born at midnight on Christmas Day. We don't know, so why not sanctify the whole day? So, also, Ash Wednesday begins at midnight, but until then: celebration!
And him a Texan! Besting me at my own game! It's humiliating. But I figured why strain to write something original when I can steal this. No Shrove Tuesday for us. It's Mardi Gras, the party of all parties. And then, but only then, we get serious about Lent.
I love the church seasons, and I like having the season of Epiphany as a prolonged celebration of the Incarnation - of Emmanuel, God with us. Although, as children, we were taught that the greatest feast day was Easter, (a hard sell to the kids) I thought then, and I think now that the Incarnation is the great event. God become one of us! As someone once told me, "Without the Incarnation, there would be no Resurrection!"
(Reposted from last year around this time.)