Happy Mardis Gras

[€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.

[€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).

[innerSpaceman]

So who's up for a Jazz Kitchen meet tonight?







And Alex's steadfast refusal to participate in fun makes me want to participate twice as much, to compensate for the global effect of his resolute stick-in-the-mudness.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into each cake.

They don't mention that it should be a Jewish baby, snatched in the dead of night.

I had a coworker mention a Super Tuesday party she was helping throw. I wonder if it has anything to do with MG. Personally, I'm kinda wishing I'd thrown a Super Tuesday party. Maybe an election night gathering? Ugh, Why Tuesday?

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Alex

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!"

That alone is reason enough!

Personally, I like to live every day as if it were Mardis Gras!

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

It wouldn't be Mardis Gras without Girls Gone Wild!

[RStar]

I made Jambalaya today. I may go to the Jazz Kitchen tonight for Beignets.

Happy Fat Tuesday!!!

Don't forget to vote!

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

It wouldn't be Mardis Gras without Girls Gone Wild!

There's no reason to assume that these girls don't participate in Ash Wednesday. They just don't necessarily get the ashes daubed on their foreheads.

There is something to be said about participating in the feast/fast cycle. At the Eastern Orthodox church we used to go to in San Francisco, lots of fasts to keep track of. Pain in the ass if it's your turn to serve lunch. Lent especially. The payoff was that after the midnight Easter service, which lasts about three and a half hours, just when you're about to cut your throat, there's a big feast with mounds of sausage, potatoes, these horribly rich "Pascha" desserts that the ladies compete over, and bottomless vodka. Lots of dancing as well, though primarily by the bachelors in the congregation who took pains to see that I, as a spiritual guest, had enough vodka.

[Snowflake]

It was not king cake, but I stopped and picked up a tuxedo cake and that was awesome and filled the bill for our Mardis Gras dinner of jambalaya.

Oh, and when I got home last night, the line out the door of my polling place was a great sight to see.