photo credit: Ella Kirk
Mardi Gras. French for Fat Tuesday is a holiday that takes place every February. The holiday is celebrated with carnivals and food throughout the week leading up and day of the holiday. This year Mardi Gras is on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Mardi Gras has Christian origins with its alternative name being Shrove Tuesday. Serving as a mark of the last day before Lent and the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent for the six weeks leading up to Easter.
One of the most infamous Mardi Gras foods is “King’s Cake”, a circular cake with cinnamon and coffee elements. It can sometimes be enhanced with fruit fillings and flavorings as well.
“There are some fun traditions that go with Mardi Gras that those who don’t really celebrate the holiday might enjoy. One is the eating of a King Cake, which has a small trinket hidden inside. The person who gets the piece of the cake with the trinket inside is crowned the King/Queen for the day! It is also a celebration full of fun, parades, music, food, friends, and family,” french teacher Larissa Sauder said.
The cake’s name comes from the Biblical story of the three kings bringing gifts for baby Jesus. The cake is almost always colored to represent different Christian values. White for faith, purple for justice and royalty, gold for prosperity and wealth and green representing growth. Most Kings Cakes often being a mixture of all these colors.
The holiday started in France when French Christians on Shrove Tuesday would consume lots of fatty and sweet foods in preparation for the fasting of Lent and Ash Wednesday. Thus, leading to the nickname Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras according to Britannica.
Because Mardi Gras’ French origins and ties, the holiday is now celebrated primarily in areas with deep French connections like New Orleans. However, Mardi Gras is still celebrated by a lot of people in Columbus.
Senior Karthik Maduposu is a member of the French Club and a frequent celebrater of Mardi Gras.
“People who love food and partying would really enjoy celebrating Mardi Gras,” Maduposu said.
Eating special food is how he celebrates the holiday.
”Really enjoy eating lots of good food and seeing other people’s posts on social media with their celebrations. My favorite food to eat during Mardi Gras is fried rice with ground beef and onions mixed in. It’s called dirty rice in Louisiana,” Maduposu said.
French Club member junior Grant Beer enjoys celebrating and observing Mardi Gras.
“All the deserts and sweets are really unique and good. My favorite meal is Jambalaya with meat and vegetables. It’s something that’s pretty easy to make at home if you want to celebrate it (Mardi Gras) from your home,” Beer said.
For one reason or another, many Columbus residents don’t consider Mardi Gras to be an essential holiday in the city.
“I wish more young people in Columbus would take part in it (Mardi Gras). It’s a really fun and easy holiday to get into that I just don’t think has clicked with a lot of people who would really enjoy it,” Beer said.
He celebrates the holiday by viewing and spreading Mardi Gras media online.
“I just like reposting (Mardi Gras) related content and eating French food. I also watch videos on (Mardi Gras) parades and celebrations in cities where it’s bigger,” Beer said.
