Ways to Celebrate Mardi Gras at Home
Mardi Grasmight have come from the church calendar dates originally, and might translate literally as Fat Tuesday - but in today’s society the origins are largely overlooked, and it simply means Giant Party to a lot of the world’s population.
All over the world Mardi Gras is celebrated in different ways, through street parades, fairs and carnivals, dance events and costume parties. The Mardi Gras festival is an environment in which to embrace social abandon, leave your inhibitions behind and throw convention to the wind.
In Rio De Janeiro theCarnivaleis a huge draw-card for visitors to Brazil who want to be a part of the colourful excess that is the world’s largest parade and Mardi Gras party. Anyone can get a costume and dance through the streets in the Samba parade (although you do need to buy your ticket first). Here in Sydney, Australia, the Mardi Gras parade is hosted by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans-gender community, and is a night of dazzling extravagance and general exuberance all around the city streets. Other Mardi Gras celebrations take place in the USA and all over the world.
You might not want to join the throngs of people filling the streets at your local event, but you can still celebrate Mardi Gras in your own sweet way with one of these novel ideas.
Make your own float. Using whatever materials you can beg, borrow or buy, build yourself a novelty cover for your car (or a lost shopping trolley!) in the weeks prior to the carnival. On Mardi Gras night, take her for a spin around your neighbourhood, with your cheery music turned up. If you can get a baton twirler or gymnast to walk along in front of your float, even better. See how many neighbours realize what you’re doing and come out to say hi.
Host your own Mardi Gras Party. Invite your friends to dress up in costume and think of their own theme tune to go with their ‘float’. During the evening each person or team can play the song of their choice and hog the spotlight for a moment or two. Or you can go all out and stage a parade of your own.
To set the mood for your party, you can treat your guests to three minutes of LMFAO'sSexy and I Know Itperformed by a guy wearing amankini! Get people into the spirit of it by starting the dancing yourself. Once the drinks are flowing they’ll be lining up!
Make Pancakes. Fat Tuesday is also known asShrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day. Historically on this day people ate rich foods in preparation for the fasting season of Lent. Pancakes make a great breakfast or dessert, or why not try a thinner pancake (a crepe) rolled up with your favourite filling for dinner.Basic creperecipes are quick and easy to make.
Get your children involved in making cardboardshoe-boxnovelty ‘floats’.
Decorate your house in Purple, Green and Gold. Traditionally the colours of the Mardi Gras, Purple symbolizes justice, Green is symbolic of faith, and Gold of Power. In Sydney the Mardi Gras colours are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and purple (in that order) in keeping with the LGBTflag.
Dress in Mardi Gras colours and watch the local coverage on the television, drink in hand, snacks on the side table.
Whatever your pleasure, enjoy doing it this Mardi Gras Season, with your friends and family!
