Happy Mardi Gras!!!!

NOLABridesmaid

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mrsconn23

w00t!!  

Heffalump

We had a trade show in New Orleans once, a long, long time ago.  (Gawd, I'm old.)  Our director of marketing was there, and she was clueless.  She showed up to the booth one morning wearing a bunch of beads because she thought they were "festive."  People snickered at her all.day.long.  It was awesome.

Wooz puts the baby in the king cake every year.  Ours is half gone already and I was starting to worry that someone accidentally ate the baby.  Luckily, Wooz checked and said it's still there.    (Wooz is also my powdered sugar-er when we make beignets.  That kid is an amazing sous chef.)

MesmrEwe

Took my cousin a box of Paczki with a "Happy Birthday" message yesterday - I think he was about to cry!  Gosh I wish I could find decent King Cake up here!! (I'm too lazy to fire up the oven...) 

MesmrEwe

AddieCake

Happy Mardi Gras!

glasgowtolondon

Anyone fancy telling a foreigner what happens on mardi gras? I know it happens in new orleans, and now I know there may be beads (for why, I am not sure!). I'm interested!

holyguacamole79

glasgowtolondon said:

Anyone fancy telling a foreigner what happens on mardi gras? I know it happens in new orleans, and now I know there may be beads (for why, I am not sure!). I'm interested!

It's mainly in NOLA, but there are usually celebrations in many places in the south.   I know Galveston  (island near Houston) also celebrates. 

Mardi Gras translates to Fat Tuesday.   It's the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent.   Since Lent is a time of fasting and repentance, Mardi Gras is a time to get all the sin out of your system, so to speak.   

The beads, I believe, were originally inspired by Rosary beads.  I've been to NOLA for Mardi Gras and got a crap load of beads and never flashed. 

It's fun, but nuts. 

glasgowtolondon

Fat Tuesday is a day I could definitely get behind! I know we have shrove tuesday on the same day (aka pancake day), not sure whether thats international or not. Sounds like the same idea but no parties and to my knowledge no pancake day related flashing incidents. I could always start the trend though!

Heffalump

glasgowtolondon said:

Fat Tuesday is a day I could definitely get behind! I know we have shrove tuesday on the same day (aka pancake day), not sure whether thats international or not. Sounds like the same idea but no parties and to my knowledge no pancake day related flashing incidents. I could always start the trend though!

I think the concept is universal, at least in places where Catholicism is/was big.  We were talking on Chit Chat yesterday, and my mom's half of the family is Polish, so Paczki Day is big with them.  (My cousins were posting photos--one makes them from scratch!) 

A lot of times on Bourbon Street, guys will yell "show us your tits" and if the lady complies, they'll give her beads.  But as @holyguacamole79 mentioned, it's not strictly mandatory.  It did not stop us from giggling behind our boss's back, though.