For St. Louis, instead of (or in addition to) celebrating Fat Tuesday, I think St. Louis should look into celebrating Wet Monday, the day after Easter. Lent is over, and the Monday after Easter is a party day in some parts of the world and the US. In Poland they call it Dyngus Day, and just Easter Monday other places. Wet Monday comes from the Polish tradition of the 19th century of throwing water on each other.
The weather in St. Louis is much nicer in late March and April, and it would be a celebration of Spring. Right now, opening Day of Baseball serves as the start of Spring, but that is dependent on the Cardinal's success and wouldn't attract visitors from other cities with baseball teams, such as Chicago or Kansas City. Wet Monday would.
Here is the Wikipedia Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Monday
Here is a quote for a 19th century description of Polish Dyngus day:
"Barely had the day dawned on Easter Monday when I woke the boys and gathered some water to start throwing it on the girls. Up with the Piwezyny! (eiderdown)! There was screaming, shouting, and confusion. The girls are shrieking and hollering, but in their hearts they are glad because they know that she who isn't gotten wet will not be married that year. And the more they are annoyed, the more we dump water on them calling, Dyngus – Smigus! Then we had to change our clothes because there wasn't a dry thread on the girls and we boys were not better off."
Originally, people took Holy Water home on Easter to bless their house and food. Somehow it degenerated into dousing your freinds.
According to Wikipedia, it is now only celebrated in North Dakota, South Bend Indiana, and Buffalo New York in the U.S.
The weather in St. Louis is much nicer in late March and April, and it would be a celebration of Spring. Right now, opening Day of Baseball serves as the start of Spring, but that is dependent on the Cardinal's success and wouldn't attract visitors from other cities with baseball teams, such as Chicago or Kansas City. Wet Monday would.
Here is the Wikipedia Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Monday
Here is a quote for a 19th century description of Polish Dyngus day:
"Barely had the day dawned on Easter Monday when I woke the boys and gathered some water to start throwing it on the girls. Up with the Piwezyny! (eiderdown)! There was screaming, shouting, and confusion. The girls are shrieking and hollering, but in their hearts they are glad because they know that she who isn't gotten wet will not be married that year. And the more they are annoyed, the more we dump water on them calling, Dyngus – Smigus! Then we had to change our clothes because there wasn't a dry thread on the girls and we boys were not better off."
Originally, people took Holy Water home on Easter to bless their house and food. Somehow it degenerated into dousing your freinds.
According to Wikipedia, it is now only celebrated in North Dakota, South Bend Indiana, and Buffalo New York in the U.S.
