comment: >
context: Didn’t people actively travel to New Orleans to celebrate this holiday? Since when was this not nationally known?? >
  
  My dad joined the Red Cross and went to assist in relief efforts after Katrina specifically to celebrate it >
  
  thats seems like a lotta work just to party >
  
  As a kid in the 90s, mardi gras was definitely already celebrated nationally.  
  It sounds like you’re wearing some huge “good ol’ days” blinders. >
  
  What did I say that is "good old days"? >
  
  Did you really write this comment?  I dont see the word "comment" anywhere >
  
  Unpopular is not synonymous with wrong >
  
  Did you grow up under a rock in northern Alaska during the 90's?
  We knew about it.  It was a big deal.  All over MTV, the News, restaurants, etc.  It hasn't been newly gentrified or national.  Hell, I can't even say it was that in the 90's. >
  
  I'm in southern Louisiana and it's not at all what you see from New Orleans. That place is wild a hell and I've only done Mardi Gras there twice, it's fuckin exhausting. In most towns it's much more family oriented. We even had kids' parades and dog parades lol. I mean yeah, we turn up and party, but no one's out there flashing folks. It's basically a last hoo-rah before Lent. I actually love that it's getting more recognition around the country:) No one can do it like we do, but I appreciate and applaud the effort. >
  
  As a kid of the late '60s Mardi Gras was big nationally hell, internationally >
  
  I dont even think most people associate Mardi Grass with an actual festivity. As you put it  "Its a festival of debauchery where everyone drank in the streets", thats its reputation, so of course it was gonna get nationalized eventually.
  No one cares what we celebrate during st Pattricks or Oktoberfest, people just wanna get drunk. No one is thinking of the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ, blessed be his name, during Christmas. You be thinking is the birth of Santa Claus or something a go on a shopping spree in his name #blessed >
  
  I am sorry, but it makes no sense. How do you think traditions are born? Do you think this USSR where the Soviet decides what is to be celebrated nationwide? Traditions always start local and then expand.
  Go to any country with sufficient exposure to American culture and you will find out that they all celebrate Halloween now, including France. Oh, and Fat Tuesday is NOT a French festival. Pretty much every catholic country or region celebrates carnival and the last day of carnival is Tuesday. Hence they all celebrate Fat Tuesday. >
  
  Yup, in southern Germany (which is highly Catholic) it's known as Fasching.  It's all just a celebration of Carnival. >
  
  Louisiana is the only part of the US that still has a unique culture besides shopping at Wal-Mart. We should celebrate it more. Mardi Gras was certainly well known in the 1990s. >
  
  People will make any exuse to party and eat in excess. People would probably celebrate a Scientology holiday if the food was good enough >
  
  Fun fact it didn’t even start in Louisiana. It started in Alabama. >
  
  Yes but we make it more fun. It’s a carnival down here. We have fun, parades, only on Bourbon you can flash your tits, you can get drunk off your ass, etc. and then we have 40 days of Lent. >
  
  Twenty years ago, even Galveston celebrated their own version of Mardi Gras.  It’s been around for a very long time.