Mardi Gras, a day of festivities and fun, swept through San Diego State University with a bang. This ritual, which really took off in the United States in the early 17th century, is a day of eating vast amounts of fatty, delicious foods while celebrating with family and friends on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This allows for one night of pure joy and carelessness before beginning the season of Lent the following day, where people choose to give up certain unhealthy foods or activities in order to focus more on the things that really matter.
Here at San Diego State, it was a time to dress up in bright greens, purples, and lots of gold with multicolored beads & celebrate with friends. Several parties were held that served their guests an array of exotic drinks and tasty munchies, games, and plenty of dancing. One of these fantastic get-togethers included the Mardi Gras Extraordinaire put on by the Maya and Olmeca Hall Council, two freshman residence halls on-campus, the Sunday before Mardi Gras. This was a chance for the different dorms to come together and mingle while enjoying the many goodies the festival had to offer. These included “mocktails”, purple and green colored cake, a tattoo station, decorating masks, and a dance floor with a live disc jockey where students could get their groove on.
It was a definite success and provided a great way for students who live together but don’t often interact each other to bond. Mardi Gras, in general, is a fantastic day received and celebrated all over the world varying from country to country, but all essentially rejoicing with wide varieties of food and festivities.