Students looking to celebrate Mardi Gras might consider wearing purple for justice, gold for power and green for faith –– the traditional colors of the holiday that will flood the Ramskeller today.

The German Club, Le Cercle Français and Students for Study Abroad are organizing their tenth annual Fat Tuesday celebration at the popular campus hangout. The event will include music, free food, a costume competition and raffles.

“It’s a great chance to meet people and learn about a different interpretation of Mardi Gras than they are accustomed to,” said Bryana Starbuck, president of the French club and senior French and international studies double major. “It’s a way to blow off some steam and have fun together.”

Starbuck is expecting 200 attendees based on last year’s turnout.

“People think of Mardi Gras as just a French or Brazilian thing.  But we as the German Club –– we can show Fasching,” said German Club secretary Jennifer Robinson, referring to the country’s version of Fat Tuesday.

In Germany, the celebration begins on the Thursday before Fat Tuesday with Women’s Carnival (Weiberfastnacht) at 11:11 a.m., according to Franziska Wilcox, the club’s advisor and a German instructor at CSU.

“All of the single men wear a tie, going out to local pubs,” Wilcox said. “All of the single women who would like to claim a single man, cut off their ties with a pair of scissors.”

That day kicks off the “crazy days” that lead up to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is observed by western Christians as the first day of Lent.

“I don’t think we can do it alone. It’s always fun to collaborate with them (French Club),” Robinson said, adding that her favorite part of Mardi Gras are the costumes.

“ … One year we had somebody with steampunk, then we had Jesus one year, that was pretty cool,” Robinson said. “Yeah I mean, dress up as anything.”

Student Life Beat Reporter and Entertainment Reporter Bailey Constas can be reached at news@collegian.com.