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Carnival Atmosphere

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

It’s that time of year again. Tuesday is Mardi Gras--or, in more literal terms, “Fat Tuesday.”

But why is this Tuesday any more obese than any other Tuesday?

With good reason. It’s the day before Lent, the day, for Catholics, before the start of a 40-day period of abstinence leading up to the celebration of Easter. (Thus, too, the other name for Fat Tuesday--”Carnival”--from the Latin, meaning “to take away meat.”)

So, facing 40 days of various kinds of fasting, temperance and moderation, it’s no wonder that the days (and often the weeks) before the start of Lent are the occasion for unchecked indulgences of every imaginable sort.

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The feasts, the celebrations and the excesses of Mardi Gras and Carnival have roots that reach well beyond the temperance of Lent, of course, usually associated with fertility rites surrounding the arrival of spring and the planting of new crops. One of its most ancient predecessors is the Egyptian tribute to Osiris, the god of the underworld, rejoicing in the vital annual flooding of the Nile. But there are others--the Greek revelry honoring the god Dionysus, the Roman carnivals (the Saturnalia, the Bacchanalia and the Lupercalia) and an array of pagan events throughout Europe that were ultimately co-opted by the Christian church.

Carnival is celebrated on different dates in some areas--the German Fasching, for example, takes place on the Epiphany, on Jan. 6 (also known as Twelfth Night) but the most commonly recognized date around the world is the Tuesday before the start of Lent. And even a quick glance reveals an enormously diverse range of festivities.

The towns of Binche in Belgium, which attracts more than 200,000 people to a village with a population of 20,000, is typical, working on its events (in which the participants shower the crowds with oranges instead of traditional beads) year-round with the kind of intensity and enthusiasm surrounding the preparations for the Rose Bowl Parade.

The Carnival of Venice, now commemorating a millennium of celebrations with costumed and masked balls, is celebrated with streets filled with jugglers, mimes and acrobats, and the Grand Canal lit by torches.

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There are similarly elaborate festivities in France and Germany, with particularly well-known events in Nice and Cologne. In the Caribbean, the nation of Trinidad and Tobago emphasizes costumes, dancing and the drinking of rum to the music of steel bands and calypso artists.

And, of course, virtually the entire country of Brazil breaks into celebratory mode for Carnaval, with the streets of Rio filled with the irrepressible, roiling rhythms of the samba and fantastic floats and costumes.

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Similarly, Mardi Gras central for the United States continues to be New Orleans, with this year’s revelry already well underway. Tuesday’s parades and parties will be the culmination of two weeks of merry-making, the biggest Mardi Gras jubilee in the U.S.

But the Southland and the West Coast have their own Mardi Gras/Carnival events. Although the celebrations have not yet reached the point at which they reflect the extraordinarily diverse, multiethnic California communities, there’s still a lot going on. Here’s an overview of some of the colorful programs scheduled for the days leading up to Fat Tuesday:

Today

The Sixth Annual Absolut Mardi Gras in West Hollywood features music in different bars nightly, leading up to the climactic Fat Tuesday Alley Party. Call (323) 650-2688 for specific schedule information.

Friday

Samba meets salsa in Folie de Brazil ‘99, an unusually colorful Latin event at the Hollywood Park Casino. Featured artists include Samba Queen Christiane Callil with Salsa King Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto Amistad. The six-hour program also showcases costumed samba dancers, fire eaters, capoeira (Brazilian marital arts) and a complete music and dance revue, “The Girls From Ipanema.” Two bands and a DJ will provide music for dancing, Brazilian cuisine will be available, and a costume contest will award Brazilian vacations. Hollywood Park Casino, at the corner of Prairie Avenue and Century Boulevard in Inglewood. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. $20 admission for seating at tables of 10. $30 for VIP seating. (310) 330-2800.

Saturday

Brazil Carnaval ’99. The Southland’s longest-running Carnival gala is in its 18th installment. The emphasis here is on atmosphere, costumes, dancing and partying. Costume contest winners will win free trips to Brazil. Carnaval ’99 benefits Project Angel Food. Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd. 8:30 p.m.-3 a.m. $35 general admission; $45 reserved seating. (323) 634-7811.

Mardi Gras Celebration, San Luis Obispo. The event includes a parade, street fair, gumbo cook-off and costume contest. (805) 541-0286.

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Mint Mardi Gras Party with Leo Nocentelli. The Mint, 6010 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m.-midnight. (323) 954-9630.

Sunday

Brazil Carnaval ‘99, San Diego. The theme for this year’s ball is “Carnaval Do Coracao” (Carnival From the Heart), featuring the Brazilian group SensaSamba. The ball will be followed Tuesday by Mardi Gras frolicking in the Gaslamp Quarter. General admission to the ball, $25. At the U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway. (760) 632-7770.

Tuesday

Fat Tuesday Alley Party, West Hollywood. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the event described as a “decadent” block party and featuring the Gila Monsters and the Zydeco Party Band and the crowning of a Mardi Gras king and queen. The event benefits the Homestead Hospice and Shelter. At the alleyway north of Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson Boulevard and Palm Avenue. Hilldale Avenue, San Vicente Boulevard and Larrabee Street north the alley will also be closed to traffic. 7 p.m. to midnight. Free. (323) 650-2688.

“Bayou to Bourbon Street.” The special Mardi Gras concert features three distinct Louisiana musical styles in the performances of BeauSoleil (with lead singer and fiddler player Michael Doucet), the seven-piece Dirty Dozen Brass Band and French Rockin’ Boogie (with pianist and accordion player Geno Delafose). Royce Hall, UCLA. 8 p.m. Tickets $30, $24, $19 and $10 (full-time UCLA students with I.D.). (310) 825-2101.

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