Christians push to reclaim mardi gras origins

A rival to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will aim to emphasise its Christian origins, with a dancing army of 10,000.

The Sydney Easter Parade will push to reclaim the Christian origins of mardi gras.

Sydney will have two mardi gras after the organisers of the Sydney Easter Parade, who expect 10,000 people to march and dance through the city on Easter Monday, said they were out to reclaim the Christian origins of the celebration.

Tomorrow, with Cher headlining, about 15,000 people are expected to take part in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is expected to draw more than 300,000 spectators.

Sydney Easter Parade and Family Day director Ben Irawan said from this year, the parade would brand itself as a “mardi gras for Christians”.

“We don’t want to oppose or contend with the gay mardi gras, but I want Christians to be able to celebrate and take some ownership of what was originally a Christian feast day before lent,” he said.

Mardi gras, or “Fat Tuesday” traces is origins to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From there, it followed France to its colonies, and became most famous in New Orleans, first as an elegant society ball and then as the colourful, voodoo-infused parade of today.

Mr Irawan said the Easter mardi gras was open to Christians of all denominations, as well as non-Christians who wanted a fun and colourful family day out.

“We have giant inflatables, things like Noah’s ark and letters spelling ‘HOPE’ 4m high,” he said. We have marching bands, dancers, colourful costumes. So it really is a mardi gras already, but we want to make the connection more strongly.”

Mr Irawan, a marketing and events expert, is also the pastor of Life Centre International church in Sydney and Wollongong, as well as senior strategy adviser in NSW for Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives.

But anyone hoping to see Senator Bernardi as a bearded Noah or heavenly angel would be disappointed. “Cory won’t be marching. This is a family fun day, so we keep the politics out of it,” Mr Irawan said. “It’s a community event.”

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will be held tomorrow for the 40th year. Picture: Adam Taylor

The parade’s Facebook page proclaims: “We celebrate the true meaning of Easter — the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We feel that (the 2018 event) is the sounding of the trumpet to gather God’s people during a time when darkness is covering the earth.”

This year’s parade starts at 11am in Hyde Park and takes in Market, George and Park streets, followed by an afternoon of music, performance and food stalls in the park.

Christians and the gay Mardi Gras haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. Until recently, NSW Legislative Council member and minister Fred Nile would lead a prayer for rain on the eve of the parade. In January 2008, Anglican Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth condemned Corpus Christi for opening the Mardi Gras with Judas seducing a gay Jesus.

A Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras spokesman said: “There are many members of the LGBTQI community that hold a wide range of religious beliefs with Christianity being among them.

“Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras welcome many faith based organisations, their LGBTQI members and allies to walk in the Parade and for the 40th anniversary celebrations we will have groups such as Mormon Temple of Equality, Wayside Chapel, Uniting Network, Dayenu and Acceptance Sydney for Gay and Lesbian Catholics joining us on Parade night.

“Mardi Gras’ are historically a celebration and the very heart of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is diversity and inclusion so we wish the Sydney Easter Parade and Family Day organisers well in their own Mardi Gras endeavours.”

The 1978 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras overcame threats and violence to establish an iconic global event. Picture: AAP