Every so often, two holidays rudely decide to be on the same day. This weekend, those holidays are Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day. (Yes, Mardi Gras is technically on Tuesday, Feb. 17, but St. Louis celebrates it Saturday, Feb. 14.)
For most, one of these holidays gets preference over the other. We are giving our input on which holiday we like better and how we’ll celebrate. Enjoy!
Despite Valentine’s Day’s origins as a pagan fertility festival (which usually gets me psyched), I can’t get behind a holiday appropriated by Hallmark and those chalky, candy hearts for the sake of profit.
I also don’t like the vibe of Mardi Gras; as far as day-drinking goes, there are more enjoyable occasions in which one can partake. So I’ll be working, grimacing as each drunk reveler asks to use the bathroom. “Yes you may use the bathroom, but please throw up elsewhere.” – Ryan McKinley
Although many people devote Valentine’s Day to their romantic significant other, I’ve always seen the day as a time to show love and appreciation to everyone in my life. My mom would always make the day special for my siblings and I – heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, pink flowers on the table, and small gifts – so I have a tender spot for the holiday in my “single” heart. – Deirdre Kerins
Valentine’s Day is dumb. Romance should not be saved for certain Hallmark holidays. I think that romantic gestures, date nights, flowers, etc. should be a common element of any relationship. Mardi Gras is a different story. I have two pieces of advice for celebrating Mardi Gras: Embrace it and eat three hot dogs before the festivities commence. Trust me. – Katherine Kelliher
One Mardi Gras, I ate an entire king cake and only narrowly avoided ingesting the tiny plastic baby inside. Many years and lessons in self-control later, I have no love for the holiday. As for Valentine’s Day, I think the human race can do better than having a day dedicated to PDA and anatomically incorrect muscular organs. My ideal weekend will be spent out of audio and visual range of wild revelers and sappy lovebirds alike. – John Schuler
In third grade, when Valentine’s Day still included writing cards for everyone in class, I streamlined the process by penning “I like you” on every one of my notes – anything to make the task easier. My plan backfired, however, when a girl in my class, Molly, shared the message with her friends (who apparently didn’t notice that they had received the same message). The embarrassment was real; for weeks, my classmates made fun of me for so publicly professing my (nonexistent) love for Molly. Valentine’s Day has forever been a reminder of the struggles of my nine-year-old self. – Paul Brunkhorst
I will not be celebrating either holiday, as I will be working all day. I got the chance to experience Mardi Gras in St. Louis during my freshman year, so I don’t feel that I’ll be missing out on anything new this year. If you’ve never gotten the chance to go downtown for the big parade, do it. Yes, it’s loud and crowded, but it’s a fun experience. St. Louis makes a bigger deal out of Mardi Gras than any city other than New Orleans. Have fun! -Josh Connelly
Enjoy our Holiday themed thumbnail
