Ash Wednesday (Christian)
The first day of Lent and the period when Christians begin their 40 days* of fasting and penitence leading up to Easter Sunday.

Followers receive a mark of ashes in the sign of the cross on their foreheads signifying the belief that “from dust you came, to dust you shall return.” A version of which is stated by the priest when the ashes are administered to each follower.

The ashes used are from palm leaves left over from the previous years Palm Sunday observances.

*While the Lenten period is actually 46 days, Sundays are not considered part of the period of penance.

photo credit: via flickr

Did You Know?
March 08

It’s Mardi Gras!!

Thank you for joining us as we counted down to Mardi Gras!

Happy Fat Tuesday,
Louie and the Holiday Elves

Signup for our Did You Know? Holiday Countdown emails or follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/holidaysnet (@holidaysnet)

Mardi Gras
The last day of festive and sometimes rowdy celebrations leading up to the start of the Lenten season (Ash Wednesday). Mardi Gras is also known as “Fat Tuesday”, “Shrove Tuesday”, or “Pancake Day”.

While Mardi Gras is celebrated throughout the southern US, it is most often identified with New Orleans, where it is celebrated with masquerade balls, King Cakes, and parades where beads, doubloons, cups, and trinkets are thrown from floats into the exuberant crowds.

Join us for our Mardi Gras celebration – Mardi Gras on the Net

Happy Mardi Gras!

Holidays on the Net is delighted to invite you to join our fun-filled party in honor of Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras on the Net. That’s right, you don’t have to live in New Orleans to enjoy this good time. But if you do live on the Gulf Coast, you know that Creole Country is practically synonymous with Mardi Gras!

Come discover the history of Mardi Gras, which is also known as Fat Tuesday (including how a cold February Tuesday got it’s “fat” nickname.) Delight in the magical lure of a Mardi Gras parade, layered with traditions of beads, doubloons and trinkets. If you are hosting a Mardi Gras party, you can learn how to bake a traditional King Cake or even make your very own parade float!

Young children are sure to enjoy our Mardi Gras craft projects, such as making your own festival masks. Plus we have tons of free coloring pages for filling a rainy afternoon. Don’t forget to flex your trivia muscle with our fun Did You Know feature.

Mardi Gras will be celebrated tomorrow, Tuesday March 08, 2011. I look forward to seeing you soon on Holidays on the Net.

Happy Holidays!
Louie and the holiday elves

Did You Know?
Facts, Figures & Folklore
About Mardi Gras and
Fat Tuesday Celebrations
March 07 : 01 day till Mardi Gras

Did you know that King Cakes are a traditional Mardi Gras food?

An oval cake honoring the three kings is decorated in purple, green and gold colors, representing justice, faith and power, respectively. A small plastic baby, symbolizing the Baby Jesus, is baked into each cake. Whoever gets the piece with the baby not only will have good luck that year, but will also be responsible for bringing the King Cake to next year’s party!

Celebrated throughout the Gulf Coast, Mardi Gras is practically synonymous with New Orleans. But you don’t have to live in Creole Country to enjoy a good party. In fact, if you want to get in on the fun, just come join us for our Mardi Gras Ball! We will be presenting a new ?Did You Know?? fun fact each day as we countdown to Mardi Gras, March 08th!

Signup for our Did You Know? Holiday Countdown emails or follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/holidaysnet (@holidaysnet)

Did You Know?
Facts, Figures & Folklore
About Mardi Gras and
Fat Tuesday Celebrations
March 06 : 02 days till Mardi Gras

Did you know that the ever-popular beaded necklaces, so ubiquitously associated with Mardi Gras today, didn’t come into play until the 1880s?

That’s when one of the Krewes dressed up a member as Santa Claus and had him toss out glass beads. It was such a hit that by 1900, beaded necklaces had become the Mardi Gras throw. Somewhere along the way, those lovely glass beads got replaced by cheap plastic and aluminum beads, which today earn the thrower a flash (of flesh). That particular “trading” tradition most likely dates back to the 1970s.

Celebrated throughout the Gulf Coast, Mardi Gras is practically synonymous with New Orleans. But you don’t have to live in Creole Country to enjoy a good party. In fact, if you want to get in on the fun, just come join us for our Mardi Gras Ball! We will be presenting a new ?Did You Know?? fun fact each day as we countdown to Mardi Gras, March 08th!

Signup for our Did You Know? Holiday Countdown emails or follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/holidaysnet (@holidaysnet)

Shrovetide
The three days of fun and festivities leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Individually known as Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras).

photo credit: via flickr

Did You Know?
Facts, Figures & Folklore
About Mardi Gras and
Fat Tuesday Celebrations
March 05 : 03 days till Mardi Gras

Did you know that the tradition of Krewes tossing out handouts to parade onlookers — or “throws” in New Orleans parlance — dates back to Renaissance Europe?

That’s where the festival custom started in which lords and ladies would hurl mead and ale at revelers. Some historians believe the tradition has even more ancient roots. Pagan peasants would toss grains at their fields in the springtime, as a show of gratitude to the deities for allowing them to survive the bitter winters.

Celebrated throughout the Gulf Coast, Mardi Gras is practically synonymous with New Orleans. But you don’t have to live in Creole Country to enjoy a good party. In fact, if you want to get in on the fun, just come join us for our Mardi Gras Ball! We will be presenting a new ?Did You Know?? fun fact each day as we countdown to Mardi Gras, March 08th!

Signup for our Did You Know? Holiday Countdown emails or follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/holidaysnet (@holidaysnet)

Happy Mardi Gras!

Holidays on the Net is delighted to invite you to join our fun-filled party in honor of Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras on the Net. That’s right, you don’t have to live in New Orleans to enjoy this good time. But if you do live on the Gulf Coast, you know that Creole Country is practically synonymous with Mardi Gras!

Come discover the history of Mardi Gras, which is also known as Fat Tuesday (including how a cold February Tuesday got it’s “fat” nickname.) Delight in the magical lure of a Mardi Gras parade, layered with traditions of beads, doubloons and trinkets. If you are hosting a Mardi Gras party, you can learn how to bake a traditional King Cake or even make your very own parade float!

Young children are sure to enjoy our Mardi Gras craft projects, such as making your own festival masks. Plus we have tons of free coloring pages for filling a rainy afternoon. Don’t forget to flex your trivia muscle with our fun Did You Know feature.

Mardi Gras will be celebrated next week, Tuesday March 08, 2011. I look forward to seeing you soon on Holidays on the Net.

Happy Holidays!
Louie and the holiday elves

Did You Know?
Facts, Figures & Folklore
About Mardi Gras and
Fat Tuesday Celebrations
March 04 : 04 days till Mardi Gras

Did you know that the first Mardi Gras parade was staged in the United States in 1837?

It has been reported that there was just one float, which, despite its crudeness, brought great joy to the people of New Orleans. Today, the city begins its cascade of parades the Friday before Ash Wednesday. The parades feature hundreds of different floats from the city’s many parishes, each of which is sponsored by a different Krewes, or club.

Celebrated throughout the Gulf Coast, Mardi Gras is practically synonymous with New Orleans. But you don’t have to live in Creole Country to enjoy a good party. In fact, if you want to get in on the fun, just come join us for our Mardi Gras Ball! We will be presenting a new ?Did You Know?? fun fact each day as we countdown to Mardi Gras, March 08th!

Signup for our Did You Know? Holiday Countdown emails or follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/holidaysnet (@holidaysnet)