Mardi Gras 

Mardi Gras

By Anna Haas

On February 17th, EHS French classes celebrated Mardi Gras, the holiday that is highly anticipated by French students because of its fun energy and lively traditions. Mardi Gras was first recognized in what is now the United States in 1699, and has since then evolved into the holiday it is today.

Mardi Gras originates from Christian traditions, and it is annually celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Over time, the period leading up to the season of Lent began to be associated with feasts and celebrations, and it eventually became known as Mardi Gras. In French, Mardi Gras translates to “Fat Tuesday”, and it earned this name because historically, the night before Ash Wednesday was spent eating rich foods before fasting during the Lent season. 

Mardi Gras is celebrated and observed in many places, but in the United States, it is most associated with New Orleans because of their large-scale celebrations. In earlier years, it was celebrated in French colonial settlements with masked balls and formal dinners, but the festivities have only become more and more extravagant since then. Food and shared meals play a big role in the celebration because things like meat, eggs, and dairy products used to be restricted during the fasting of Lent. One food that is commonly seen during Mardi Gras is a king cake. A king cake is a circular pastry decorated with festive colors and usually contains a hidden baby figurine. The finder of the hidden baby is sometimes expected to host the next celebration. One of the biggest and most famous ways that New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras is their elaborate parades. These parades consist of festive floats, people wearing decorative masks, marching bands, and the throwing of beads in the colors of purple, green, and gold, which symbolize justice, faith, and power. 

To begin the Mardi Gras fun at Exeter High School, French Honor Society decorates the hallway during the meeting the week before. By the end of the meeting, the hallway is decked out with banners, flags, and festive colors. On the day before Mardi Gras, the floors of the French classrooms get covered in sequins, gems, and feathers as masks are decorated for the next day. Sometimes there is even a king cake to be shared during the mask decorating chaos. 

When the well awaited day finally comes, French classes get dressed up in masks, beads, and sometimes costumes in preparation for the parade. When the song, Le Bal Masqué, starts to play, the parading begins. We march around the school with flags and banners, stopping by most classrooms to share the excitement and hand out colorful beads. This year, some of the seniors from fifth period decided to sacrifice part of lunch to keep parading because we didn’t want it to be over. It is always such a fun time to sing and dance with friends, and it’s something I’ll really miss!