It’s Mardi Gras Season! - #126

Right after the winter holidays and new year celebrations have passed, the trees and decorations come down and are packed away, we turn the calendar page to January … and voila! - we get ready for Mardi Gras season! 

So a little background about Mardi Gras for those unfamiliar:

Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”. It is a vibrant festival of feasting, parades and revelry that marks the final days before the Christian fasting season of Lent. Much like Christmas, - everyone - regardless of beliefs, loves to take part in this fun, quirky, sparkly, colorful, exciting block of time in the south. The Mardi Gras colors are Purple ( representing justice) Green ( for faith) and Gold  ( for power). It is everywhere! Costumes and masks? It is said originated from European Carnival traditions - allowing people to “go a little crazy” without being recognized. And although New Orleans is known as Mardi Gras central - the first celebration was actually hosted in Mobile, Alabama in the early 1700’s. 

A centerpiece for most Mardi Gras celebrations is the “King Cake”. It is a festive, ring shaped pastry - like a cross between a giant cinnamon bun and brioche bread.  It is typically braided in a circle, the hollow center to resemble a crown and covered in icing and sanding sugar in the traditional Mardi Gras colors.  But the most unique feature of the King Cake is the plastic baby that’s hidden inside. Getting a slice with the baby means good luck or you’re in charge of bringing the next King Cake to an event. I have always wondered if anyone ever choked on that baby! But honestly- I’m not a big fan of the cake part of the King Cake.  

The hidden baby brings to mind a story about my first husband’s (Bob) grandmother. Her name was Bertha - a tiny lady who made me feel tall! Bertha was in her late 80’s when I met her, still lived alone and was president of her local B’nai Brith chapter. I never had a grandmother growing up so she was a real treat to have in my life. (My daughter Brooke was named in her memory). Whenever a new person would be joining the Schwartz family through marriage ( she had 8 grandchildren) and attended their first traditional Jewish dinner at her home, Grandma Bertha would make chicken soup with kreplach (dumpling) and replace the meat in the dough of one kreplach with a piece of “cotton” into the unsuspecting newcomer’s bowl.  Lucky for me my fiancée let me in on the secret otherwise I probably would’ve swallowed it whole! 

Continuing on with Mardi Gras… parades are prolific in this area; you can find one in just about every town along the Gulf Coast. These processions are actually organized and privately funded by social clubs called “Krewes”.  The clubs operate all year to plan elaborate themes, create floats and events that lead up to Fat Tuesday. 

So what’s the deal with throwing beads? Throwing and catching colorful beads (plus many other items) creates interaction between the “riders” ( revelers on the floats) and spectators but it also is considered a blessing at that moment of connection . My first experience watching and participating in our local parade culminated in a black eye for me - after getting hit in the face with a big heavy charm dangling from the end of a chain of beads! Not such a blessing but a good lesson to stand further back from the line of fire! Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!       (Let The  Good Times Roll) Baby!