Fat Tuesday is upon us, giving everyone a nice excuse to engage in a day of gluttony in full New Orleans style.

It also gives a lot of people an excuse to stumble around Bourbon Street in various states of accessories and undress, and of course no Mardis Gras would be complete without a few Hurricanes and a lot of King cake being consumed.

In recent years, Mardis Gras has become a time to celebrate the rebuilding and rebirth of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  It’s also a time to help rebuild new Orleans by donating your spending money toward the betterment of the city.  (Read: you can justify your third Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s.)

So if you’re out there baring yourself for beads or giving them away for an eyeful, just remember: it’s all in the name of a good cause.  You can give up public nudity (or the solicitation of it) for Lent.