When I was growing up, Mardi Gras was time to spend with your family and friends. Mardi Gras meant parties at school, family coming to visit, and a lovely school holiday in between Christmas and Spring Break. As I got older Mardi Gras was a time to assert my independence and travel throughout New Orleans with my friends.
Now that I live in New Orleans I'm sure that a few inconveniences will come up along with the fun of Mardi Gras.
For the next few posts I'll be giving you some basic information on Mardi Gras and then some of the ways I will be celebrating Mardi Gras this year!
Religious History
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is always on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras was the day to get out all of your vices before the sacrificial time of Lent. Lent is the time Catholics use to prepare for Easter. Catholics believe there are 3 pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and alms giving. Mardi Gras was a day of feasting before the fasting of Lent began. While Mardi Gras used to only refer to the one day of rich food and indulgence before Lent, Mardi Gras has now grown to mean the entire season of Carnival.
The length of the Carnival season changes every year with the changing date of Mardi Gras. This year, Easter is very early so the Carnival season ends sooner and is much shorter than usual. The Carnival season in New Orleans runs from Three Kings Day to Mardi Gras. Three Kings Day takes place on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. Three Kings Day marks the end of the Christmas season in the Catholic faith. Three Kings Day is marked in New Orleans with the first King Cake!
King Cake
King Cake is eaten throughout Mardi Gras, for breakfast, for dessert, at a party, in the workroom, whenever!
Most people are familiar with the baby that comes in a King Cake. The person who finds the baby in the King Cake is responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party. If you find the baby then you are ensured good luck throughout the next year! When you are buying a King Cake from a bakery check to see if the baby comes inside the King Cake. If they leave the baby on the side, leave the King Cake, you want a King Cake that comes with a pre-baked baby inside. When I make King Cake I use a kidney bean, red bean, black bean, really whatever bean I have handy. I don't keep a lot of tiny plastic babies around, and a bean seems much more sanitary and historically accurate.
The three colors that come sugared on top of a King Cake are: gold, purple and green. These are also the colors of Mardi Gras gold=power, green=faith, and purple=justice. These colors occur throughout Catholic symbology as well with the same meanings.
Be looking out for my easy peasy lemon squeezy King Cake recipe!
No comments:
Post a Comment