Mardi Gras

Whether you live in New Orleans, or elsewhere, Mardi Gras can be celebrated. Considering present day Mardi Gras celebrations, it might surprise you to learn that the festival has religious roots. Festivities start in New Orleans each year on January 6, the Twelfth Night feast of the Epiphany, and the day it is believed the three kings first visited Jesus Christ. Mardi Gras, French for ‘Fat Tuesday’, is the day-long highlight of Mardi Gras. While Mardi Gras most certainly has pagan, pre-Christian origins, the Roman Catholic Church legitimized the festival as a brief celebration before Lent. Mardi Gras Day, a legal holiday in New Orleans, is set to occur 46 days (the 40 days of Lent plus six Sundays) Before Easter, and can come as early as February 3 or as late as March 9.

The celebration of Mardi Gras included private masked balls, and random street masking, in the cities of Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans. By the 1820s, maskers on foot, and in decorated carriages, began to appear on Fat Tuesday, and in 1837, the first documented procession took place in New Orleans, but it bore no resemblance to today's carnival.

Just like a Mardi Gras Ball, your party should have a theme. Each person can choose to be masked or unmasked, but bright colors, beads, and Jazz music is a must! One popular suggestion for Mardi Gras parties outside of New Orleans, is to enlist the aid of someone artistically inclined to paint a large piece of plywood to coordinate with the Mardi Gras theme, where each couple can stand to have their photo taken as a gift and memento of the party, just like they do at the Mardi Gras balls in New Orleans!

Decorating for your Mardi Gras Party is very easy. Strings of brightly colored lights (Christmas tree lights work well) plenty of glittery, colorful confetti, helium balloons will round out the Mardi Gras theme.



While the kids are waiting for all the guests to arrive, have them try our free Mardi Gras Word Search. This is a fun activity that the kids can do in groups or individally.

Serve traditional Mardi Gras foods and drinks like crawfish, seafood, boudan, jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, moon pies, King Cake, Mardi Gras Margaritas, dips and chips. We are planning on playing Mardi Gras related jazz, zydeco and dance music during the event. A song every Mardi Gras celebration should have is “Mardi Gras Mambo" by Buckwheat Zydeco!

Mardi Gras

Although Mardi Gras is in February, a Mardi Gras theme party can happen any time of the year with our HUGE selection of beads, mask, decorations and party supplies.

Enjoy your Mardi Gras theme party!  Don't forget upcoming holidays:
Fiesta themed parties are always lively and a family event. Spanish music will fill the air and dancing is a must. For a great themed event have someone there that can teach guests how to salsa. This will engage the guest and provide hours of fun for everyone.
Mardi Gras Party Supplies
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