If you don’t live in the south, chances are good that you and your friends have never been to a legit Mardi Gras celebration.
So you want to give your friends a taste of “Fat Tuesday” New Orleans style. In order to do this, you need to know a little more about the traditions and celebrations that are characteristic of the season.
Invites
There are several options for invitations. It depends entirely on what kind of celebration you want to do. More a more formal party, you might consider sending or giving each of your guests a cheap, plastic mask, and writing the details of the party on the back, and invite them to come in costume, or wear the mask.
Decorations
The motto associated with Mardi Gras is the oft heard phrase “Let the Good Times Roll!” You can make a banner of this motto, in the traditional colors – green, purple, and gold. Try to use these colors everywhere you can, including the tablecloth, napkins, centerpieces, and even in the food.
This may seem gaudy, but honestly, that is part of the charm of Mardi Gras. The bigger, louder, and more flamboyant the better. As the host, you should encourage this.
In terms of music, you should play New Orleans brass band or Zydeco music. This will help to distinguish this party from any other and give your guests the traditional feel of what it would feel like to celebrate Mardi Gras in the French Quarter.
Food
Think traditional creole and New Orleans themed dishes. Some of the best options are gumbo, jambalaya, and other simple, spicy foods.
A huge part of the Mardi Gras is the tradition of the king cake. This is a simple coffee cake covered in icing and sprinkles, but in one piece of the cake, there
is hidden a small bean or plastic baby figurine.
You can incorporate this tradition into your party by declaring whoever gets the bean piece the king or queen of Mardi Gras. You might want to buy a cheap, plastic crown to add to the festivities.
Costumes
This is another huge part of the Mardi Gras tradition is the wearing and displaying of costumes. Invite your guests to come dressed as royalty, carnival characters, 1920’s flapper attire, or anything in the proper colors.
If you have the budget, it might be fun to order custom Mardi Gras shirts for your guests, with the date printed on the back, so everyone will be in costume without having to spend a fortune.
Favors
When your guests arrive, drape them with plastic beads and have plastic doubloons on the table or use them as prizes during the games you play. These trinkets are an essential part of the Mardi Gras experience.