The translation of Mardi Gras is Fat Tuesday and is always on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday making this the last day to overindulge before Lent; for many Christians Lent is the beginning of fasting or sacrificing. Although New Orleans may be the biggest and best known city for this annual celebration, you can easily bring Bourbon Street to your Mardi Gras party wherever you live.
Planning and preparing for the Mardi Gras party can be a huge part of the fun. Keep in mind that the goal is to create the splashy colorful carnival atmosphere. Focus on over the top excess as you consider the menu, decorations and music. From the moment your guests approach the entrance to the party, they will be transported to Bourbon Street.
1) Decorations – Be sure the decorations boldly announce party time. the official Mardi Gras colors are purple, gold and green with each color serving as a symbol: purple represents justice, gold stands for power and green represents faith. Beads, banners, streamers, masks and balloons in the traditional colors are inexpensive while setting the tone.
2) Invitations – let your guests know that there will be prizes for the best, funniest, most original, etc. costumes. To start the party tone, put some confetti inside each invitation.
3) Masks and costumes – Masks are a must in creating the Bourbon Street mood. Costumes and masks allow the guests to be someone else for the evening; a king, a queen, a jester or some other character. the masks add to the mystery of this unique celebration. Remember to have some inexpensive prizes for the costume contest.
4) Food – Lots of delicious Cajun or Creole food will be a highlight of a successful party. most of the dishes are inexpensive and easy to make. Large pots of spicy Cajun jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp Creole, and a King Cake will delight your guests; they’ll be talking about the incredible food until next Mardi Gras.
5) Music – find some good Zydeco or jazz and play it throughout the evening. if you’re not familiar with Zydeco, check on iTunes for music by Rockin’ Sidney, Boozoo Chavis, or Buckwheat Zydeco; this will get you started.
For anyone into arts and crafts, you can make some of your own decorations and masks to add that personal touch. It’s also fun, not to mention helpful, to have a pre-party. Enlist the assistance of a few friends to decorate; serve some snacks and get busy. the combination of great decorations, lots of zesty Cajun food, Zydeco music, masks and costumes will create a memorable Mardi Gras party.
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