Mardi Gras: Feast before Fast

A religious holiday or just another excuse to have a good time? Mardi Gras: Feast before Fast is a one-hour documentary about the colourful history and diverse practices of Shrove Tuesday - AKA Mardi Gras, AKA Pancake Tuesday - a rowdy celebration of excess before the solemn season of Lent.

Follow rakish ne'er do well, Steve (High Life, Horsemen); through the famous streets of New Orleans as they prepare for Mardi Gras. Discussions with historians, cooks, clergy and Cajuns present a facet on the spiritual transcendence of excess that occurs just before the somber celebration of Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar.

From Iceland to Columbia, pancake races to chicken chasing, the flamboyant and sometimes bizarre Mardi Gras celebrations create lasting traditions that endure the test of time and changing social needs.

More than just beads and masks, this documentary explores how a religious holiday becomes a springboard for uniting a community, and delivers a rollicking good time in the process.

Mardi Gras falls this year (2012) on February 21.

Mardi Gras: Feast before Fast airs on VisionTV February 15, 2012 at 10pm ET

TV Productions