7 Fun Ways to Celebrate Mardi Gras at Home!
Party freaks from around the world begin to gather in New Orleans, Louisiana, to celebrate the most fantastic carnival of the year– Mardi Gras, in the last week of February. But the circumstances are very different this year. New Orleans has called off the Mardi Gras parades for 2021 due to ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For the uninitiated, Mardi Gras parades are the major attraction of this festival where people dress up in stylish and easy Mardi Gras Costumes and wear festival wigs. Not only parades, but many other activities and events have also been cancelled or postponed. This means, this year, the fun and glamour at Orleans will not be as same as it used to be.
But don't worry! To help you celebrate Mardi Gras at home, we have compiled seven fun ways. We make sure that all of these ideas are easy and don't burden your pocket. But before we jump to the tips section, let us first understand what Mardi Gras carnival is.
What is the Mardi Gras Festival?
Mardi Gras, also called Shrove Tuesday, is French for "Fat Tuesday," It is the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season leading up to Easter during Christian Lent.
Many Christians fast during Lent, and the name Fat Tuesday refers to the last day of eating richer foods before Lent's leaner days begin. In 2021, Mardi Gras falls on February 16.
The streets of New Orleans will fill up with people dressed in amazing Mardi Gras costumes and Mardi Gras Wigs, tossing beads on this day in honor of Mardi Gras.
So, even if you're unfamiliar with Mardi Gras, you now have some basic ideas of what this holiday is all about and why it's being celebrated.
We have addressed the seven easy ways to celebrate Mardi Gras at home in the later segment, which includes baking a classic cake, buying simple and easy Mardi Gras costumes and Mardi Gras wigs, hosting your own Mardi Gras parade, recreating new magic at home in Orleans, whip up Sazerac, etc.
With a little imagination and the Louisiana spirit, you can celebrate Mardi Gras anywhere in the world. Here are seven creative ways to do it.
7 Ways To Celebrate Mardi Gras at Home
1. Recreate New Orleans Magic at Home
For whatever reason, you are unable to go to New Orleans– the heart of Mardi Gras. But you can certainly try to bring New Orleans to your home!
Recreate the beauty of New Orleans at home. Decorate your place with green, yellow or purple accessories including balloons, props, masks etc. Just make sure it's glittery. You can also work on the lighting. Whatever you choose– confetti, candles, floral arrangements, streamers, wreaths, or table cloths, make sure it is either green, gold or purple– the three traditional Mardi Gras festival colours.
Besides, Mardi Gras beads are a very important component of this festival. So you should also strive to integrate beads into the decoration as much as possible. To complete the festive look & vibe, buy Mardi Gras wigs and easy Mardi Gras costumes as well.
2. Plan Your Own Mardi Gras Parade
Parades are an integral part of the Celebration of Mardi Gras. In New Orleans, the first Mardi Gras parade was held in 1837. And it has been organised every year since then. For this reason, you must host a parade of your own.
Much like the decor, you and your friends can even plan your own Mardi Gras parade. It is expected that, as you are hosting Mardi Gras, you must be well aware of what Mardi Gras parades are. Even if you are not so familiar with the parades, you can simply Google!
Buy easy Mardi Gras costumes from thrift shops or online stores along with matching Mardi Gras wigs. Order the beads, gather the booze! Food, Booze and Parade are some of the key components of Mardi Gras.
Invite as many individuals as you know and plan a mock parade to the nearest bar and dance your heart out until sunrise!
3. Bake a Classic King Cake
No Mardi Gras can be complete without a giant classic cake! It's a staple of every Mardi Gras. The sweet pastry is circular like a crown and frosted in the green, yellow, and purple Mardi Gras colours with a plastic baby inside. It is believed that whoever finds the plastic baby is bestowed with luck and unique responsibility.
If you're not good in the kitchen, you can buy this king cake from the bakery, or you can even give it a shot with your friends' help. Ensure that the king cake colours will still stay the same– green, yellow, purple, much like anything from easy Mardi Gras costumes or Mardi gras wigs to decoration.
You can change the 'plastic baby' rule a bit. For example, whoever finds the plastic baby has to host the Mardi Gras event next year or give all the guests a treat! But make sure you don't forget to bake or buy a classic king cake.
4. Dress Up in Mardi Gras Costumes
Every festival has its own costumes, foods & vibes, and so does Mardi Gras! Decorative masks designed with sequins, feathers, jewels, glitter, and other sparkly things are popular during the Mardi Gras season.
You may buy masks for your guest, ask guests to wear their own masks or display them on the wall or a table. You should also ask the guests to wear different Mardi Gras costumes and Mardi Gras wigs such as jumbo afros wigs or tinsel wigs.
The dressing part is not that difficult. All you have to do is find yellow, green and purple color outfits in your closet or buy a new one, if you don't have any, from the easy Mardi Gras costumes & Mardi Gras wigs websites or nearby thrift stores.
You can also use some makeup to level up your dressing game. Even a little shade of green, yellow or purple face makeup will do the necessary job to enhance your overall look.
5. Cook some Delicious Foods & Toss off Sazerac
Food is also a significant part of the Mardi Gras carnival, much like Mardi Gras wigs and costumes. After all, it's a festival celebrating life and the last day of dietary freedom for the Catholic population before Lent! Serve delicious Creole or Cajun-inspired food to your guests.
Some of the popular recipes you should try for the Mardi Gras party are King cake, dirty rice, Crawfish Etouffee, Po'Boy, Jambalaya and pancakes. As described earlier, just like your elegant and easy Mardi Gras costumes and Mardi Gras wigs, make sure you give priority to green, yellow and purple colors for food too.
Along with foods, you can also offer some good drinks to your guests, including beer and Sazerac–the official cocktail of New Orleans. Some people even claim that Sazerac was the first US cocktail.
Remember, it's the last chance to party and splurge on food before the Lenten fast begins. That means it's a perfect excuse to enjoy all sorts of great food!
6. Host Live Entertainment at Your Home
Entertainment is a large part of any festival be it Halloween parties or the Mardi Gras. Live music, parades, dance, folk artists, colorful and easy Mardi Gras costumes and Mardi Gras wigs are some of the factors that make Mardi Gras an entertaining and a fun event.
If you need to do one thing during Mardi Gras, it's to arrange local entertainment to recreate the excitement at home party. Find and make a playlist of songs that relates to Mardi Gras or organise the parade. Call folk artists. But above all, make sure that the party becomes entertaining, and guests don't get bored!
7. Put on Mardi Gras Movie or Watch Mardi Gras Live
It's a different situation this time. There will be no Mardi Gras parade and other events or activities. But we hope, next year, there will be a parade. Put on the Mardi Gras live and enjoy with your family and friends. Almost most of the TV channels and the number of YouTube channels live stream this event. Dress up in your elegant and easy Mardi Gras Costumes along with Mardi Gras Wigs and enjoy the parade with the guests.
You may also watch a movie or shows based on Mardi Gras.There are a number of movies that are based on or cover the Mardi Grass festival. Obviously, not all of them are worth watching, but there are some really good movies that are worth your time. You can enjoy it with your guests.
You can simply play it in the background as the event goes on, in case you don't have too much time or don't want to reserve a slot for a movie or parade. People who are not into dance or music will enjoy the film or parade, while others can dance their hearts out!
Summary:
Even if you are not present in New Orleans to celebrate the world-famous Mardi Gras carnival, with the aid of your friends and family, you can definitely recreate it at your home. All you have to do is follow these seven simple tips: bake a traditional king cake, dress up in elegant and easy Mardi Gras costumes along with Mardi Gras wigs, host a parade, gorge on tasty foods and put on live entertainment.
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