If we could just be there...

Throwing a Mardis Gras party with your cubical mates or neighbors?  Going to a tear-your-eyes-out shmooze fest/carnival that your boss is throwing?  Or are you trolling down to New Orleans with your buddies for Fat Tuesday week and need a few cliff-notes on what Mardis Gras is all about. Well, here are a few “factoids” that you can throw out in a pinch if you’re cornered by a topless girl in beads or by a phallic mask in a suit. Hold onto your mojito and trade your beads.  Go for the 33″ ones!  Those are “hot” now.

1. Mardis Gras came from the latin/roman/christian holiday “Lupercalia” honoring the God of Lupercus, God of fertility, agriculture and shepards.

Meant to be the last bash before Lent - the 40 days when everyone has to dry out and get right.

Started in 1830’s by a group of professional and political men.  They called themselves the Krewes.  Since then, there have been dozens of Krewe clubs formed. Each Krewe must supply a float, banner, hold a ball in celebration of Mardis Gras and also have their own parade to be considered an authentic and approved Krewe, eligible for Mardis Gras.

There are over 60 parades a year celebrating Mardis Gras in New Orleans.

2.  The 3 main colors in Mardis Gras each represent a “virtue”:

Gold- Power  Green- Faith Purple- Justice

3. The bead phenomena started in 1920 by the Fex Krewe when they threw glass beaded necklaces from the floats.  It is all about trading your beads.  Rumor has it that drunk rowdy men started to demand trade for a look-see so that is how flashing topless girls started on Bourbon Street in the 50’s.

Krewes throw anything, like the Zulu Pleasure Club, that threw hand painted coconuts from their float until the safety dep’t. determined that it was harmful to pedestrians so banned them from throwing them.  Now they hand them out in bags.

4. The coins are called “Doubloons”- initially made of thin sheet metals, but since Katrina, most inventory was lost and now metal coins have become rare and replaced by plastic.  There is an embossing of the Krewes’ logo on one side and their parade theme on the other.

5. The four main ceremonial drinks of Mardis Gras are: Mint Julip, Bloddy Mary, Hurricane and Mojito.

6. The King Cake is a sweet white ring cake with the 3 colors of icing on top: Purple, Gold and Green.  The cake is made by each Krewe as a spiritual symbol used at Mardis Gras symbolizing the epiphany when the Kings came to bring Jesus gifts, hence, a hidden baby doll in the cake.  Get the piece of cake with the baby and you will have a lucky year…GOD Bless!

7. The music for Mardis Gras is Zydeco and Jazz.

8.  The key to any great Mardis Gras party is that it must be a theme.  We would throw a 70’s fancy dress party in appreciation of a time when everyone was happy, creative, self-expressive and spirit-filled and stood up for what they believed.

How ’bout your party?  If you are throwing one, tell us all about it. 

Check out ME2 “Cocktail Party” for recipes.