Mardi Gras is one of my favorite holidays. When I was 5, my family moved to southern Mississippi, about 2 hours or so away from New Orleans. It was during this time that I was first exposed to Mardi Gras. My school had a Mardi Gras parade, we bought king's cake, and my parents took me to parades in Louisiana (Bogalusa, though; celebrations in New Orleans are way too crazy). I was enthralled with the lush greens, golds, and purples, the ornate masks, the costumes, the throws (beads, cups, and coins thrown from the parades), and finding the baby figurine in the king's cake! When we moved away two years later, I was terribly annoyed to find that the good people of Atlanta are less familiar with the holiday. Every few years or so, we'd find a king's cake in the grocery stores, but that's about it. And now that I'm in DC, the only festivities appear to be either too expensive ($250 tickets to the Mystick Krew of Louisianians ball and other similarly priced parties) or sleazy (stuff going on in bars); no in-betweens. But the holiday's always stuck with me. I still have my beads from nearly twenty years ago, the coins are some of my most treasured mementos, and my mom always mails me a king's cake when she finds it in the store. So, whether you're in the Gulf Coast, New York City, or Timbuktu, whoop it up and have some fun tonight. And if you manage to get hold of some king's cake, eat a slice for me; I hope your piece has the baby in it!Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!
Mardi Gras is one of my favorite holidays. When I was 5, my family moved to southern Mississippi, about 2 hours or so away from New Orleans. It was during this time that I was first exposed to Mardi Gras. My school had a Mardi Gras parade, we bought king's cake, and my parents took me to parades in Louisiana (Bogalusa, though; celebrations in New Orleans are way too crazy). I was enthralled with the lush greens, golds, and purples, the ornate masks, the costumes, the throws (beads, cups, and coins thrown from the parades), and finding the baby figurine in the king's cake! When we moved away two years later, I was terribly annoyed to find that the good people of Atlanta are less familiar with the holiday. Every few years or so, we'd find a king's cake in the grocery stores, but that's about it. And now that I'm in DC, the only festivities appear to be either too expensive ($250 tickets to the Mystick Krew of Louisianians ball and other similarly priced parties) or sleazy (stuff going on in bars); no in-betweens. But the holiday's always stuck with me. I still have my beads from nearly twenty years ago, the coins are some of my most treasured mementos, and my mom always mails me a king's cake when she finds it in the store. So, whether you're in the Gulf Coast, New York City, or Timbuktu, whoop it up and have some fun tonight. And if you manage to get hold of some king's cake, eat a slice for me; I hope your piece has the baby in it!