In case you weren’t aware, the term Mardi Gras actually means ‘Fat Tuesday,’ which notoriously marks the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Obviously, during Lent, many believers of the Christian faith give something up (often meat on Fridays and perhaps a favorite food or habit) in order to honor the season. Therefore, Fat Tuesday is the last day to consume/partake in this item/event for an entire six weeks.
A little history on Mardi Gras: this holiday surprisingly finds its origin in ancient Roman culture. In mid February, the Romans would celebrate ‘Lupercalia,’ a carnival similar to the Mardi Gras we recognize today. Early Christian leaders thought it would be easier to incorporate some pagan rituals into their culture rather than attempt to disregard them completely. The festival became a time of
unnoticed debauchery and revelry. Mardi Gras came to America with an explorer from France right around the turn of the eighteenth century. Mardi Gras has been a major holiday in Paris for many centuries.
For a lot of college students, Fat Tuesday is just another excuse for us to go HAM during the middle of the week. Let’s be real, it is a pretty good excuse to cut loose before things get a little too serious in class or with Spring Break diets. To all of the revelers out there wondering what to wear for this momentous occasion…try to incorporate some Mardi Gras colors into your outfit! Anything flashy in gold, green or purple would be perfect! If you want to really be festive, make a mask. Wal-Mart, Michael’s and Hobby Lobby all carry white masks that are super easy to decorate! And don’t forget to wear stacks on stacks of beads!
Thinking of throwing a pre-game or party for Fat Tuesday? Here are a couple of ways to festively celebrate this fun and historical holiday
1. Make your own New Orleans Hurricane:
Ingredients–
1/2 cup ice
2 fluid ounces light rum
2 fluid ounces passion fruit flavored syrup (Crystal Light powder can be substituted here)
1 cup sprite/diet sprite/sprite zero
1 ounce lime juice
1 fluid ounce 151 proof rum
Directions–
In a shaker, combine ice, sprite, light rum, passion fruit syrup, and lime juice. Shake well and pour mixture into a fun, festive glass. Top drink off with the 1 oz 151 proof rum, which floats on the surface.
If you feel like the drink is too strong for your liking, add either grenadine or cherry Kool-Aid.
*TIP: Don’t have a shaker? Put ingredients in a solo cup and then put another solo cup on top and shake.
2. King Cake or Twelfth Night Cake:
A King Cake is part of every Mardi Gras celebration and is traditionally made of yeast bread and molded into the shape of a ring. However, since we’re all not contestants on Cake Boss, its definitely fine to make it out of whatever you can find at the grocery store. The cake should be frosted with gold, green, and purple icing (sprinkles are fine!), which represent power, faith, and justice respectively. Although this cake is festive and tasty, the real tradition is baked within the cake. The baker of the King Cake should hide either a dried red bean or a figurine of a baby inside the contents. When the cake is shared, whoever finds the hidden token is said to enjoy good luck for the coming year and is usually required to make the cake the next year. Are you graduating in May? Have the recipient of the token buy everyone the first round of shots at Loose Change or TDs!
3. Pancakes!
If you want to stick with something simple, make pancakes for your guests and incorporate green and purple food coloring into the batter! Nothing says Fat Tuesday better than a stack of flapjacks.
Happy Mardi Gras everyone! Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Photo Sources:
http://barbarabakes.com/wp-content/upLoads/2011/03/King-Cake-1.jpg
http://johnnybarbato.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Mardi-Gras-2012.jpg