Hosting A Wonderful Mardi Gras Party

By Lizbeth Nathaniel


When Mardi Gras occurs, there will definitely be parties and celebrations. The name "fat Tuesday" is well equated with Mardi Gras which happens every year on the day before Ash Wednesday which we all know to be the day that marks the start of the Lenten fast. This is the last day where we can indulge before finally giving up some things for the Lenten Season. An uproarious Mardi Gras party may be great to give your family and friends this year.

You can start with those jovial decors. Mardi Gras traditionally showcases the colors purple, yellow and green as they are the bright shades of the upcoming Spring. You can perhaps set tables, both dining and buffet in black or white tablecloth and then set out decorations like Mardi Gras coins and beads in those traditional shades. Candles of purple, gold and green would look great on your table too. Ceilings can be donned with streamers and maybe display some feathers and masks to connote festivity.

For that beautiful floral centerpiece atop your dining table, check out your San Clemente florist or Dana Point florist as they can even give you festive bouquets to decorate other areas of the place. Arrangements like a purple vase with yellow and purple blooms as well as some greenery can be attractive to the eye and can be brilliantly prepared for you by a Carlsbad florist or San Juan Capistrano florist.

Food is definitely going to be a highlight of your party, and remember that this is a night for indulgence, so you don't have to worry about counting the calories. Set out platters with Po Boy sandwiches or Muffaletta sandwiches and serve up crock pots filled with red beans and rice or gumbo or perhaps a spicy jambalaya. For a fun drink, consider making a big bowl of hurricane punch. Dessert might include a plate of beignets, a pot of strong chicory coffee and a lavish King cake.

Although the King cake is also often served during the feast of the Epiphany, this is also a tradition during Mardi Gras. In New Orleans, this cake is typically similar to a cinnamon roll however decorated with purple, green and gold icing or glazed and decorated with colored sugar in green, yellow and purple. The practice is for the chef to place a trinket inside the cake which usually is a plastic baby. It is believed that whoever finds this trinket will have good luck and is therefore declared the "king" for the day and hence bestowed the responsibility of providing the King's cake for the next year.

The party becomes even more interesting as those who come are donned in masquerade costumes with an award given to the best costume. Create a musical playlist filled with Mardi Gras tunes. Several great songs are actually written especially for Mardi Gras which you can intersperse with some other wonderful New Orleans Jazz.




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