Practice your French
What does Mardi Gras mean?
Fat Tuesday
What is another name for Mardi Gras?
Shrove Tuesday, Carnival
Why do people eat fatty foods on Mardi Gras?
To prepare for Lent, a time of fasting and not indulging in fancy food.
What day kicks off carnival celebrations each year?
Epiphany - Three Kings Day
What are some sweet foods eaten on Mardi Gras?
Crepes, beignets, pancakes
What is a beignet?
Deep fried pastry, often compared to a donut.
What are the groups that organize New Orleans Mardi Gras parades called?
Krewes
Why do people wear masks for Mardi Gras?
to hide the identity of the party-goers. In the past masks were a way for their wearers to escape class constraints and social demands. Mask wearers could mingle with people of all different classes and could be whomever they desired, at least for a few days.
Mardi Gras takes place the day before?
before Ash Wednesday
The success of a Mardi Gras parade is measured in what?
Trash left behind
King cake is typically made with what sort of dough?
Brioche
What does the "shrove" in Shrove Tuesday mean?
shrove is a form of the English word shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday was named after the custom of Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent.
What is inside of a King Cake?
a plastic baby or bean.
Which Italian city is famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations?
Venice
What do the Mardi Gras colors represent?
Green = Faith, Purple = Justice, Gold = Power
What is the most popular Mardi Gras saying?
Laissez les bon temps rouler. (let the good times roll)
What is the name oldest African American krewe in New Orleans?
The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club (Krewe of Zulu)
Mardi Gras beads used to be made out of what material?
glass
New Orleans canceled Mardi Gras parades in the 1870s due to the outbreak of what disease?
Yellow Fever
After Mardi Gras parades were canceled for 2021 in New Orleans, what did krewes decorate instead of floats?
Name the 3 Mardi Gras colors in French?
Or, Violet, Vert
The word "carnival" comes from the Latin words Carne Vale that mean...?
"the taking away of the meat"
What are the coins thrown during Mardi Gras called?
Doubloons - coins that commemorate various Mardi Gras Krewes. They are typically made of aluminum and are thrown from floats in carnival parades.
Other than New Orleans, name two places famous for their Carnival celebrations.
Brazil, France, Italy, Colombia
The Krewe of Zulu tosses what coveted Mardi Gras trinket during their New Orleans parade each year?
A golden coconut