Happy Mardis Gras

[€uroMeinke]

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"


Sure there's an election today - But what are you going to do to celebrate Mardis Gras?

Red Beans & Rice? Jambalaya? Hurricanes? Listen to some Zydeco?

Here's to a day of hedonism

[Snowflake]

Ooh, thanks for the reminder €!

Jambalaya is in order and now I must find some King cake!

[blueerica]

I was just thinking that today - what to do for Fat Tuesday? I will probably do some red beans and rice, or something to that effect.

[mousepod]

We got a knock on the door last night. Our stoner next-door neighbor (we live in a duplex) told us: "We're having a party tomorrow night. Kind of a Mardi Gras/Super Tuesday thing. If the noise gets out of control, please bang on our door before you call the cops."

I dread tonight. I feel old.

[Deebs]

Started out like an invitation...

Originally Posted by mousepod

We got a knock on the door last night. Our stoner next-door neighbor (we live in a duplex) told us: "We're having a party tomorrow night. Kind of a Mardi Gras/Super Tuesday thing.

If the noise gets out of control, please bang on our door before you call the cops."

But no.

[Disneyphile]

Originally Posted by mousepod

We got a knock on the door last night. Our stoner next-door neighbor (we live in a duplex) told us: "We're having a party tomorrow night. Kind of a Mardi Gras/Super Tuesday thing. If the noise gets out of control, please bang on our door before you call the cops."

Stoner dude=clueless. Always invite the neighbors so they don't even think about calling the cops. Stoner dude has no etiquette.

And... what's a "king cake"?

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

And... what's a "king cake"?

From an email I recieved this morning:

History of the King Cake

image courtesy mardigrasstore.com

The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time of year, one of the most beloved traditions in New Orleans is that of the King Cake.
On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.
The New Orleans tradition, begun in the 1870s, borrows heavily from European customs. As part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake an oval cake in honor of the three kings - the King Cake. The shape of a King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into each cake.
In New Orleans, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. In offices, classrooms, and homes throughout the city, King Cakes are sliced and enjoyed by all. Like the biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered. While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.
The traditional King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar. Today, many additional varieties of King Cake are also available, with fillings such as cream cheese, strawberry, apple, and lemon.

[Alex]

Just like I refuse to go up the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas until after I've been up the real one in Paris I refuse to participate in Mardi Gras-style parties until I've done it for real in New Orleans.

Sadly, since Lani has been there, done that, and has absolutely no interest in ever being within 500 miles of it again, that probably isn't going to happen.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Alex

Just like I refuse to go up the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas until after I've been up the real one in Paris I refuse to participate in Mardi Gras-style parties until I've done it for real in New Orleans.

Sadly, since Lani has been there, done that, and has absolutely no interest in ever being within 500 miles of it again, that probably isn't going to happen.

But Mardis Gras/Carnival/Fasching is celebrated in other places besides New Orleans - that's just the closest.

Perhaps a samba is more in line for you?

[Alex]

Yes, but I'm also not Catholic so for the same reason I mostly ignore Christmas (despite its secularization) I also am inclined to ignore Fat Tuesday despite its secularization unless I go to a home of it (similarly, if I were in the Vatican at Christmas I'd strongly consider polite attendance at a Christmas mass).

When and if I ever do participate in such things I want it to have more of a connection to the root causes and history than simply "rocking party! show me your boobs!" Which is all it is for most people, otherwise they'd be participating in Ash Wednesday as well (I know dozens of people going to Mardi Gras parties, I don't know hardly anybody seriously participating in Lent).

I don't mind other people doing it, it just doesn't interest me. It is of more interest anthropologically than participatorally. Once I get the unadulterated anthropology then I'll be more open to the simple participatory (as with possibly going up the Vegas Eiffel Tower).