Mardi gras is a celebration of life. Also known
as "Fat Tuesday," it is celebrated with parades and balls until
Ash Wednesday which is the start of the fasting season of Lent.
The most famous Mardi gras celebration is the one held in New
Orleans each year.
A Mardi gras party is about the food and the
music. It is also about costumes and masks. If you like costume
parties, this is a great party theme. You can have an intimate
party in your home for a few friends or throw a huge event at a
local hotel or other venue. A Mardi gras party is loud, a room
filled with laughter and people having a good time. You want to
keep that in mind when selecting the day and the venue for your
party.
You will want to have creative invitations for
this party. The invitation could be a mask or it could be a
mask attached to a written or engraved invitation. Make it
imaginative. This will set the tone for your party.
The decorations for the party should be in the
Mardi gras colors of purple, gold, and green. You can use
streamers, balloons, and masks. You can sprinkle confetti in the Mardi gras colors on
your tables for a great accent.
Costumes are the dress for the party. Your
guests can dress in costumes that are lavish or bizarre and
your guests must wear a mask. The ladies can wear lots of
jewelry. You should also have some of the plastic beads and
coins that are thrown at the Mardi gras parades.
Cajun food is the menu for a Mardi gras
celebration: red beans and rice, jambalaya, bread pudding,
gumbo, rice, pecan pie, shrimp in Creole sauce, and oyster
po-boys. It is a tradition to bake the figurine of a baby in a
cake. The cake is usually white with a colored glaze. If you
get the slice of cake with the figurine, it means good
luck.
Do not forget the music. Jazz and Dixieland
Jazz have their origins in New Orleans.
You should serve both alcoholic and
non-alcoholic beverages at your party. Be a responsible host
and make sure that guests who have had too much to drink go
home with a designated driver. You can also call a cab or offer
to drive the person home.
If you adapt a Mardi gras party as a birthday
party for someone who is celebrating their 40th birthday, an
"over-the-hill" birthday, you may want to add a CD of the
funeral march music that is played in New Orleans.
A Mardi gras party is a joyful celebration of
life.