Relax everybody, Valentines Day is over and an easier-to-remember celebration, Mardi Gras, looms. This picture by fubuki really makes you want to party in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras is memorable

Judging by the multitude of roadside vendors in a U-Haul truck. many forgetful souls got away with last-minute Valentines chocolates and flowers bundled in a teddy bear. Some even missed that trick and had to make hasty apologies in many romantic different ways, like "Shit, honey, I forgot, but I do love you really." Anyway, now redeem yourselves and prepare to party together on easier-to-remember Fat Tuesday. February 20.

Origins of Mardi Gras

In French. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, an eating fest in preparation for 40 days of religious fasting. Sod that post-fest fasting lark. We'll just eat and drink to excess on Tuesday and keep it up till the end of Lent, at which time we will reassess the waistline for summer. Maybe we could exploit the lack of self-restraint and market a range of pisstakers post Lent beach wear?

Lots of mardi Gras material

Coming up will be some more insightful observations on Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Pancake Day. Like, is it any wonder that the Brits only eat pancakes one day of the year when they insist on sprinkling their pathetic pancakes with gritty sugar and spine-tingling lemon juice? Gross.

Valentine's Day is like herpes: just when you think its gone for good, it rears its ugly head once more. No wonder some people prefer to call it VD.

Yes, it's that special time of year when chocolate manufacturers and greetings card companies encourage you to demonstrate the extent of your fondness in cold, hard, cash (or the satin-covered equivalent) on February 14th. AntiValentine's Day