Mardi Gras - Let the Good Times Roll!
"Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!"
Mardi Gras came to New Orleans through French immigrants in 1699. The festival has been celebrated in France since the middle ages. The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro has one of the most elaborate celebrations and draws tourists every year from all over the world. Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and is always celebrated 47 days before Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras season begins on January 3 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. This is the last day before lent, a forty-day season of prayer and fasting by Roman Catholics and many other Christian denominations. So, everyone gets in one last good party before they give it all up for lent!
Mardi Gras parades have fancy floats, everyone wears strange costumes, and they dance in the streets. Onlookers compete to catch the colorful green, purple, and gold beads and other goodies that are thrown out such as cups and doubloons, candy, stuffed animals, flowers, whistles, etc. The colors of the Mardi Gras beads each have a meaning: gold is for power, green stands for faith, and the meaning of purple is justice.
Krewes are the social organizations hosting the parade and there are many. Each has their own parade and has royalty including King, Queen, Dukes, Knights, and Captains. After the parades, the Krewes have balls and present their Royal Court.
One cannot talk about Mardi Gras without mentioning King Cakes! The King Cake is an oval cake baked in honor of the three kings and symbolizes the unity of faiths. The King Cake hides a "baby" and the finder of the baby is rewarded with good luck and responsible for bringing a King Cake to the next party. King Cakes are made from cinnamon dough twisted and baked and topped with icing, sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar. You can also have King Cakes with different fruit and cream cheese fillings.
If you plan to travel to New Orleans or any other location to celebrate Mardi Gras, "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" (Let the good times roll!)
Sources:
http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/blog/category/news/
Published by Janet Hunt - Featured Contributor in Business & Finance
Janet Hunt is a freelance writing professional specializing in business and finance. She has published articles for such online publication sites as Demand Studios, Associated Content, and various other onli... View profile
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17 Comments
Post a CommentVery good! Me too, Memmay!
On my bucket list.
Fun article!
great info, sounds like a blast!
I was in New Orleans one time; Sin City is what I call it. There was nudity everywhere you looked, alcoholic beverages, and I even seen naked girls swinging out of buildings on some kind of a large sinful swing. I do believe that New Orleans is Lucifer's City, STAY AWAY!!! God Bless Black Power!!!
Interesting! I knew about the beads, but not about the cakes! :)
LOL@Nancy! It can be dangerous...Best to go in a group I would think...
The ex went down one year and took the worst beating he ever had in his life...course he probably deserved it..
Great job on this one! It won't be long until Mardi Gras season is here :) Let the good times roll!
Good work. Anglicans (Episcopalians in this country) observe Shrove Tuesday, and their wild party traditionally is... eating pancakes!