Growing up in the Minnesota Northwoods, Mardi Gras was not something I paid much attention to. I had Catholic friends and knew all about Ash Wednesday, but there were never any big parties the night before. Can you imagine Marge and Norm Gunderson or Jerry Lundegaard dancing down the street while jazz was played by live musicians? Can you imagine live musicians marching down any street in Minnesota playing something other then Minnesota, Hail to Thee or the localized version of On Wisconsin? It’s not that there were no Catholics in the Northwoods, but they were Scandinavian Catholics which made them act more like Lutherans anyway. It worked the same with the Baptists like my family. You may see lots of movies with those Baptist gospel choirs and dancing in the pews, but not the Scandinavian Baptists. They might sing gospel songs, but with all the fervor of Sheldon Cooper. So, any interest in Mardi Gras would have been anthropological – an examination of the rites and practices of some foreign country, like Louisiana.

Mardi Gras is celebrated in Portland, though it’s a secular celebration that is utterly disconnected to any religious cycle. It’s never a civic celebration, but merely a bunch of opportunistic parties thrown by a few local bars and dance clubs to rake in some cash on a normally slow Tuesday. However, at least there is some revelry, however inauthentic and commercialized it may be. For me, though, I would love to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans – mainly because I love the music so much – and the idea of a city convulsed by joy and celebration. It’s not something we see in most of the United States where decorum trumps exhilaration all the time.

Mardi Gras is the theme of this month’s FLUX event. FLUX is a new monthly themed sales event that will hopefully inspire Second Life creators to creatively interpret each month’s theme and bring us a wide array of new creations. This first month coincided with Mardi Gras and a celebratory theme is a fun way to kick it off. I pulled together my outfit from a few pieces. The leggings come from an outfit from Sn@tch that would be perfect for a Mardi Gras superhero. The dress is from A Netherworld. The jewelry is from Sn@tch and Balderdash.

There’s also colorful makeup from MiaMai and glittery contacts from Banana Banshee. They will be having a Mardi Gras party on Sunday night. Yeah, I know it’s supposed to be Fat Tuesday, but it’s going to be Fat Sunday instead. I will be spinning the music – which is still the best of Mardi Gras in my mind.

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****SHOPPING LIST******

• Poses: DieselWorks PolyWall 2012
• Skin: -Belleza- Chloe Pale 30 Cleavage
• Makeup Tattoos: MiaMai Mardi Gras Makeup for FLUX
• Eyes:Banana Banshee -Beads – Carnivale
• Lashes: Lelutka
• Hair: Truth Vicky with hairbase
• Dress: A Netherworld – Mardi Gras Purple for FLUX
• Tights: :::Sn@tch Parade Latex Pants (Striped) Part of outfit
• Shoes: MiaMai Rhana Boots Purple
• Gloves: Fleur Long Gloves Lemon – Vintage, no longer available
• Jewelry: SN@tch FLUX Coin Earrings and Necklace, Balderdash Mardi Gras Necklaces in Purple, Green and Gold