Fat Tuesday is here! The celebration of Mardi Gras begins as participants everywhere, particularly in New Orleans, are indulging in fun colored beads, parties and sweets.
So why do we celebrate Mardi Gras? Here are some quick facts about the holiday.
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In case you were ever wondering why the colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold, Rex, the King of Mardi Gras, chose the official colors in 1872. All three colors have their own meaning, purple represents justice; green, faith; and gold, power.
It is not a traditional Mardi Gras tradition for women to bare their breasts, however, beads are hard to get, and women will do anything to obtain them and is mainly observed in the French Quarter.
In Cajun country, there is a tradition for the men to go from house to house begging for the ingredients to make a delectable Gumbo. Luckily, supermarkets are plentiful on Long Island so you won’t have to participate in the begging part of the tradition, unless you want to.
When it comes to dessert, the King Cake is the most popular desert featured during Mardi Gras.
“In Louisiana especially, Mardi Gras season and King Cakes go hand in hand with literally hundreds of thousands of King Cakes consumed at parties and office lunch rooms every year,” reads MardiGrasNewOrleans.com.
The King Cake is associated with the celebrations between Christmas and Ash Wednesday. The cake honors the three wise men bearing gifts to Jesus.
“The main part of the celebration was the baking of a King’s Cake to honor the three Kings. The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route used by the kings to get to the Christ Child,” reads Kingcake.com.
According to the story, the circular route was invented to confuse King Herod who was supposedly trying to follow the wise men so he could kill baby Jesus.
But what makes the cake special is not just the story behind it, but the surprise inside. Originally, bakers would hide a bean, pea, or coin inside the cake. The person who got the hidden piece was declared “King” for the day and said to have good luck in the coming year.
However, today the cake usually has a small toy baby, representing baby Jesus hidden inside.
So now you why we celebrate Mardi Gras and the meaning behind the King Cake, happy Fat Tuesday!
