Southeast students to celebrate Mardi Gras at Grande Parade in St. Louis

Every year in February the streets in St. Louis are filled with purple, green and gold decorations. There are parties and parades, including one for dogs. People walk around in masks and wear small plastic beads.

It is Mardi Gras season.

Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the Catholic holiday for the beginning of Lent. However, Mardi Gras is more popularly known as a carnival celebration that traditionally goes from the last day of Christmas to Fat Tuesday.

Mardi Gras is a popular event with many students, and they travel to St. Louis to experience the Grande Parade and party on Soulard Street. This year the Grande Parade will take place Feb. 9 on Soulard Street. It is by far the biggest event during the Mardi Gras celebration in St. Louis.

Anna Steffens, a senior interior design major at Southeast, had not planned to go until she received St. Louis Blues hockey tickets.

"I am going to the Blues' game that night so I probably will go to Soulard at some point that day," Steffens said.

Cybersecurity major Nate Ponder said he is going to attend the celebration this year as well.

"I have been waiting to go to St. Louis for Mardi Gras for years, and I am really looking forward to it," senior cybersecurity major Nate Ponder said.

Exercise science major Brian Grote, 22, said this will be his first time to go the Mardi Gras celebration.

"I lived in St. Charles but have never been able to go till now," Grote said.

Mardi Gras has been a tradition celebrated in St. Louis for more that 30 years and is considered to be the second biggest carnival aside from New Orleans, which makes it a popular tourist spot for people wanting to experience Mardi Gras but do not want to travel to New Orleans.

Seniors Rachel Hofmann and Michelle Martin, integrated marketing and public relations majors respectively, will not be able to make it to St. Louis this year because of work. Hofmann says she still plans to get a king cake, which is her favorite part of Mardi Gras.

"I plan on seeing if there is any Mardi Gras parties in Cape that night to make up for not being able to go up to St. Louis," Martin said.