Mardi Gras

Well, it’s just about time to pull out the Mardi Gras decorations. I’m wondering how many of you decorate for this festive occasion. My son swears that we’re the only people in our community who even recognize the day. But Mardi Gras is a holiday, and this old lady loves a good holiday.

I decorate for any holiday. Of course, there’s Mardi Gras, but there’s also Valentine’s Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4th, Bastille Day-July 14th (the French National Holiday—but I teach French!), Labor Day (celebrated in May in France), Halloween, Veteran’s Day (Armistice Day), Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In December, we hosted a dinner party at our house and I had my menorah displayed on the hutch near my wall hanging that says, shalom. One of my guests pulled me aside and said, “I didn’t realize that you were Jewish.” I explained to her that we weren’t, but it was a holiday and I love decorations!

Now, I don’t just frivolously decorate. It is important to understand why we celebrate holidays. So my students get lessons on the history of Saint Valentine, Saint Patrick, the treaty of Versailles, labor unions, All Saints, Plymouth and other historical and cultural events. So on March 8th, my students will experience a lesson on Mardi Gras that I have created based on all of my research on this holiday.

Mardi Gras is the official end of the carnival season. Carnival begins on Three Kings Day or Epiphany-January 6th. It is the festival of feasting and celebration before the season of Lent. In my classes, we’ll feast on king cake, and I will explain the Mardi Gras colors: purple, green and yellow. Purple representing justice, green is faith, and gold is power. Mardi Gras in French means Fat Tuesday, so it is a time for eating and celebrating. In France, the day is followed by Mercredi Maigre or skinny Wednesday. We call it Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras is celebrated in Frederick by the Women’s Civic Club with their Mardi Gras ball. In 2001, my daughter Tiffany had the wonderful experience of being a Mardi Gras princess. Our family spent the evening dancing and smiling. There were masks and Mardi Gras colors, and a wonderful time was had by all.

But even more importantly, Mardi Gras signifies to me the ending of winter and the beginning of spring. We end the days of hibernating in winter to look forward to the glorious days of spring. Happy Mardi Gras!