Mardi Gras Hoopla

Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French. It is a celebration full of feasting and merriment just before Lent is ushered in for the 40 days of “self denial” leading up to Easter. Mardi Gras is the time to march in parades; eat pancakes, donuts, and other treats; sing and dance; and generally celebrate good times. This is a great opportunity to have a fabulous party for your family, your kids, and their friends! People all over the world celebrate this holiday, and so should all of us. Here are some tips for your celebration:

• Have the kids come to your home in costumes for a parade, or ask them to dress in the traditional colors of purple (justice), green (faith), and gold (power).
• Buy balloons, streamers, and tableware in traditional purple, green, and gold colors. Have candies and beads on the table in these colors for added decoration. Play fun Cajun music in the background.
• Have the kids make masks before the parade.  Or if you are pressed for time, check out these budget friendly masks from Amazon.

• Another way to prepare for the parade is to have someone paint the kids’ faces purple, green, and gold before it begins.
• Crown two people King and Queen of the parade. This can be based on a costume contest or by providing each child with a set of beads and having two sets mark the king and queen somehow. The kids who get the marked beads are the king and queen.
• Give away tons of beads as prizes and just for fun during the parade. The kids can take them home as a goody.
• Have a bead game. Start everyone out with five strands of beads, and make “Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras” the “IT” words. When someone is caught saying the words, they have to give a strand of their beads to the person who caught them. The person with the most strands of beads at the end of the party, wins!
• Have a parade throughout your neighborhood. Make sure you have adult supervision to keep the kids together and safe.
• Play Pass the Baby like you would play Hot Potato. Pass a baby doll to music. When the music stops, the kid holding the baby is out. (The baby is traditionally what is supposed to be hiding in the King’s Cake.)
• Make a Mardi Gras shoebox float
• Color milk green or purple with food coloring, and serve it with King’s Cake.
• Other items you may want to serve include jambalaya, jumbo shrimp, and other fabulous Mardi Gras foods. Other treats could include pancakes, donuts, and chocolates.
• Check out MardiGrasDays.com for additional information on the festival, product offerings, and activities.