Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras came to New Orleans (la Nouvelle Orléans) through French explorers in 1699.

La Louisiane

They celebrated on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Over the next 300 years the way Mardi Gras is celebrated evolved. Over time the people of New Orleans threw lavish balls, held parades and celebrated with other fesitivities.

Today Mardi Gras is best known for the over the top parades (les défilés) that are held.

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday

• It’s always celebrated on a Tuesday.

It’s always 47 days before the Christian holiday of Easter (le Pâques) and the day before Lent (le carême.)

• A period of “fattening up…”

Carnival is the time leading up to Fat Tuesday.

• Begins in January.• Nightly parades and celebrations.

Tourists come to New Orleans from all over the world to celebrate Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras colors

• Le violet, l’or et le vert.

Traditions

• Le masque

Traditions

• LA galette des rois (Kings Cake)

King Cake

King Cake• More than 750,000 Kings cakes are

consumed annually in the New Orleans area during the Carnival season!

Krewes• Krewes are organizations that get together

over the year to plan and build the floats for Mardi Gras

• Orpheus

• Zeus

• Comus

• -You can ride too… for $600…

Doubloons(les doublons)

• Aluminum coins bearing parade krewe insignia on one side and parade themes on the reverse.

Throws(les babioles)

• Float riders toss trinkets to the crowds called “throws.”

King Rex

• Introduced in 1872.

Bal masqué

King Rex and his queen preside over the Rex Ball.

The unofficial slogan of Mardi Gras is…

Time for a Mardi Gras Quiz

• What does Mardi Gras mean?

• A) Super Tuesday

• B) Fat Tuesday

• C) Carnival Tuesday

• What does Mardi Gras mean?

• B) Fat Tuesday

In which city does the biggest Mardi Gras celebration take place?

• A) New Orleans

• B) Paris

• C) Quebec

In which city does the biggest Mardi Gras celebration take place?

• A) New Orleans

Why do people celebrate Mardi Gras?

• A) to celebrate the ending of Lent, a period of fasting and penitence.

• B) to honor King Rex.

• C) in order to “fatten up” before Lent begins.

Why do people celebrate Mardi Gras

• C) in order to “fatten up” before Lent begins.

What is not one of the colors of Mardi Gras?

A)le violet

B)l’argent

C)l’or

D)le vert

What is not one of the colors of Mardi Gras?

B)l’argent

What does the color gold represent?

A) Faith

B) Power

C) Love

D) Justice

What does the color gold represent?

B)Power

Why is a king cake round?

• A) No special reason, most cake pans are round.

• B) The round shape represents a King’s Crown.

• C) King cakes are not always round.

Why is a king cake round?

• B) The round shape represents a King’s Crown.

What might you find when you bite into your slice of King

Cake?• A) A plastic baby

• B) A bean

• C) A coin

• D) Any of the above.

What might you find when you bite into your slice of King

Cake?

• D) Any of the above.

Vrai ou faux?

• Mardi Gras float riders are required by law to wear a mask at all times.

VRAI

Vrai ou faux?• It is illegal to throw anything from a

moving float due to safety concerns.

FAUX

• Float riders throw beads, doubloons and other trinkets from the floats.

Vrai ou faux?

• Mardi Gras takes place on the third Tuesday in February every year.

FAUX

• Mardi Gras always takes place on a Tuesday, but not always the third Tuesday.

Laissez les bons temps rouler means….

A) Let’s have a good time!

B) Good times for all!

C) Let the good times roll!

Laissez les bons temps rouler means….

C) Let the good times roll!