Mardi Gras: A Misunderstood Carnival
             Mardi Gras has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From the time I could walk I can remember the atmosphere that I experienced on that wondrous day. The sites, the smells, and the tastes are forever imprinted upon my mind. Mardi Gras was always a family day much like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Our house is located on the parade route of the famous Rex Parade and friends and family alike would gather at our house every year to enjoy great food, company, and music. As I got older, I attended the fancy masquerade balls which were nothing less than magnificent. Mardi Gras was not only a time for feast and celebration, but also a religious holiday for most of the native people of my city. Most people fail to understand what Mardi Gras is really supposed to be. Henri Schindler, author of Mardi Gras, writes that, "Mardi Gras' surviving fragments exist like buried treasure; few New Orleanians have seen them, and they have remained unknown to the outside world."(8). These aspects of Mardi Gras are seldom, if at all known to most people. It is interesting to ask people what they believe Mardi Gras is. I asked a random Appalachian State University student to explain what he thought the definition of Mardi Gras really was. He replied, "A big street party with beer, beads, and boobs." Like most people, he failed to realize the fact that the carnival was based around religion, and therefore is a good example of how Mardi Gras is a misunderstood holiday.
             To fully understand the magnificent holiday of Mardi Gras, one must first understand where it came from. Mardi Gras, actually started long before Europeans even stepped foot in the new world. According to Jim Davis, author of Mardi Gras History, Mardi Gras actually originates from the Greek holiday Lupercalia, an ancient Roman carnival very similar to modern day Mardi Gras which is celebrated in mid...