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The Crossroads Journal

Mardi Gras in full force at the local dollar store

By Matthew Gary Milam
Back in December I patronized the local dollar store just a couple of days before Christmas Eve and found that their Christmas decorations, gifts, and candy had been replaced with those for a holiday nearly two months away—Valentine's Day. Not only that, but in the surrounding areas of the seasonal section of the store could also be found decorations for Saint Patrick's Day, a holiday that was nearly three months away. This rather frustrated me, as I was still very much in a holly jolly mood and was in full mode for shopping for the Christmas holiday at hand; but what really puzzled me was the fact that there was an entire aisle end cap dedicated to Mardi Gras, not exactly a Utah holiday. Or is it?
Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," translated from French, refers to the celebrations on the day before Ash Wednesday where celebrators eat richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. Many are familiar with the Mardi Gras celebration that takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, and also the Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But here in Utah?
Before seeing that dollar store Mardi Gras display on that December day, I hadn't realized that this holiday was celebrated in many states outside of Louisiana, including Utah—at least according to the marketing directors of this particular dollar store chain. So, I decided to check further into it.
It turns out that there are several Mardi Gras celebrations throughout Northern Utah. This year, Mardi Gras is on the very last day of February, and "Fat Tuesday," this year, looks to be a fun time in Utah. Here in Utah County the Provo Recreation Center will hold a Masquerade Ball, complete with the beads and masks that have become the icons of the New Orleans celebration. Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake will hold its own celebration in its Children's Museum. The University of Utah will celebrate at its student center with circus performers and other student activities. These are just a few of the Mardi Gras events planned throughout Northern Utah during February.
Everyone loves a holiday and the more of them the better. In Utah, during the bleak winter months, anything to get us out of the doldrums is a good thing, I imagine. So, I say, bring on Mardi Gras in full force! Our local dollar store would like to help us out with this.
The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 


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