Have you completed your census today?

Did you complete the census? Most of us did, but do we really know any specifics? If we even care, my son asked me the other day how often it is sent out. When I didn’t know, I looked it up (Wikipedia) and found a few interesting facts that I thought were “blog worthy”.

The US Constitution requires the Federal Government to conduct a census every ten years. The last one being in 2001.

The results are used to allocate congressional seats (congressional apportionment), electoral votes, and government program funding.

The census is performed by the United States Census Bureau. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790 under then Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. There have been 21 federal censuses since then.

Only the names of the heads of household and a general demographic accounting of the remaining members of the household were recorded for the first 6 censuses (1790-1840). Beginning in 1850 all members of the household were named. The first slave schedules were also completed in 1850 with the second, and last, in 1860. Censuses of the late 19th century included agricultural and industrial schedules to gauge the productivity of the nation’s economy. Mortality schedules were taken between 1850 and 1880 to capture a snapshot of life spans and causes of death throughout the country.

The first 9 censuses (1790-1870) were not managed by the Executive branch, but by the Judicial branch. The US federal court districts assigned US marshals, who hired assistant marshals to conduct the actual enumeration. Sounds familiar huh?

For more mumbo jumbo on the census go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Census

You never know when there’s going to be a quiz!!

Happy Fat Tuesday

Beyond Masks, Beads, King Cakes, Food, Parades and whatever other Frolicking you would like to imagine…. There is an interesting history about Mardi Gras. Also, a MOST interesting tidbit not mentioned in this, is the fact that our very own midwestern city of St. Louis, MO has one of the most fantastic Mardi Gras parades and celebrations ever!!! This I write from experience :)

In French, "Mardi Gras" literally means "Fat Tuesday," so named because it falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the last day prior to Lent...a 40-day season of prayer and fasting observed by the Roman Catholic Church (and many other Christian denominations) which ends on Easter Sunday. The origin of "Fat Tuesday" is believed to have come from the ancient Pagan custom of parading a fat ox through the town streets. Such Pagan holidays were filled with excessive eating, drinking and general bawdiness prior to a period of fasting.

Since the modern day Carvinal Season is sandwiched between Christmas and Lent, with Christmas Day being December 25 on the Gregorian Calendar as set by the Roman Catholic Church, this means that other Holy Days are "floating" in nature. Easter always falls on a Sunday, but it can be any Sunday from March 23 through April 25, its actual date being the Sunday which follows the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras is always 47 days prior to this alloted Sunday (the 40 days of Lent plus seven Sundays). The beginning of the Carnival Season itself, however, is also fixed...being January 6, which is the Feast of the Ephiphany, otherwise known as Little Christmas or Twelfth Night.

Since the date of Mardi Gras thus varies, the length of the Carnival Season also varies accordingly from year-to-year. The origin of the word "Carvinal" is from the Latin for "farewell to the flesh," a time when one is expected to forego earthly pleasures prior to the restrictions of the Lenten Season, and is thought to be derived from the feasts of the Middle Ages known as carnis levamen or "solace of the flesh."

The first American Mardi Gras was celebrated near modern-day New Orleans on March 3, 1699. It wasn't until the mid-1800s did official parade organizations start to form with the Mystick Krewe of Comus in 1856 and the Krewe of Rex in 1872. The tradition is still carried on in New Orleans with many other krewes represented on floats in a myriad of parades.

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple (symbolic of justice), green (symbolic of faith) and gold (symbolic of power). The accepted story behind the original selection of these colors originates from 1872 when the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia visited New Orleans. It is said that the Grand Duke came to the city in pursuit of an actress named Lydia Thompson. During his stay, he was given the honor of selecting the official Mardi Gras colors by the Krewe of Rex...thus, did these colors also become the colors of the House of Romanoff. The 1892 Rex Parade theme ("Symbolism of Colors") first gave meaning to the representation of the official Mardi Gras colors. Interestingly, the colors of Mardi Gras influenced the choice of school colors for the Lousiana arch-rival colleges, Louisiana State University and Tulane University. Whe LSU was deciding on its colors, the stores in New Orleans had stocked-up on fabrics of purple, green and gold for the upcoming Mardi Gras Season. LSU, opting for purple and gold, bought a large quantity of the available cloth. Tulane purchased much of the only remaining color...green (Tulane's colors are green and white).

So I bid you Happy Tuesday and…. Laissex Les Bons Temps Rouler!!