Mardi Gras
What are the three colors of Mardi Gras?
Purple, Green and Gold
Where's the world's biggest Carnival?
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
What are the ashes on Ash Wednesday made of?
Palm branches from Palm Sunday
Traditionally, what is put inside of the King Cake?
Plastic baby Jesus
What does Mardi Gras mean?
Fat Tuesday
Where is the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the US (city, state)?
Mobile, Alabama (1703)
In what country is there an epic egg battle on Carnival representing the battle between Don Carnal and Doña Cuaresma (Don Carnal always loses).
Águilas, Spain
Months before Carnival, locals collect eggshells, then paint them or cover them in striking colors and fill them with confetti. In Spanish, it’s called cascarones de confeti.
What foods are given up in the "Great Lent" of Eastern churches?
meat, fish, & dairy
(food products that contain blood - some Eastern churches fast from oil and wine because they used to be stored in animal skins)
Name 3 traditional Mardi Gras foods?
Beignets
Shrimp or crawfish boil
Creole Seasoning on anything
King Cake
Gumbo
Muffaletta sandwiches
Shrimp and grits
Jambalaya
Bananas Foster
Hush Puppies
Moon pies
Shrimp Etouffe
Pralines
What is the etymology of Carnival?
Comes from Latin "carnem levare" (to take away or remove meat)
Which Mardi Gras color represents justice?
purple
Which Catholic city's Carnival celebrations where banned for nearly 200 years?
Venice, Italy by the last Holy Roman Emperor
On what feast day does the Mardi Gras season start in the US?
Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6)
Jambalaya is similar to what Spanish dish?
Paella
What are doubloons?
Fake coins thrown off the parade floats
What do people hang on trees throughout New Orleans for Mardi Gras?
beaded necklaces
In Goa, India what household object do people throw out their window as the Carnival parade passes?
old utensils
When does Lent end in the Catholic Church?
Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday
Name two traditional fillings in a King Cake?
cream cheese, Bavarian cream, frangipane, or praline filling
Translate "Let the good times roll" into Cajun-French (BONUS +100 for spelling correctly)
laissez les bons temps rouler
When did Mardi Gras become an official state holiday in Louisiana? Four Options:
1750 | 1875 | 1920 | 1980
1875
In what country are demon masks worn and large bells clanged to drive out evil spirits and to announce the end of winter on the eve of Lent and spring?
Switzerland
What does the shrove, in Shrove Tuesday, mean?
“to shrive,” meaning “to confess,” or to hear confessions–a way to prepare our hearts for the beginning of Lent dating back to the Middle Ages.
What fruit is often painted and handed out by the Zulu parade float?
Coconuts
What is a Flambeux?
Every true Mardi Gras parade is led by Flambeaux, torch-bearers who light the way for the coming procession. The tradition arose out of necessity for revelers to see parades that took place at night. Flambeaux often twirl or throw their lit torches for a little extra flame-filled flair.