America 1 Loc: South Miami

Mardi Gras is next week, and you know what that means: festivities of all kinds, from the religious to the ... not so religious. Among the many popular traditions associated with the Catholic holiday — costumes, parades, bright colors — one stands out as easily the tastiest: king cake. Not everyone wearing green, gold, and purple in New Orleans next week will know why the treat is associated with Fat Tuesday, but the story behind it is as interesting as the cake is delicious.

It's said to have begun, like so many delectable customs, in 19th-century France. The confection is named in honor of the biblical Kings and has as much to do with the Epiphany — also known as the Twelfth Night, which traditionally takes place on J****** 6 — as it does with Mardi Gras itself. That's when the three wisemen (also known as both the Magi and the three kings) first saw the Christ Child — in Greek, "epiphany" means "to show." Here's where the cake comes in: Decorated in green (for faith), purple (for justice), and gold (for power), its colors are meant to resemble a crown honoring the Magi.

The variant is known and loved in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast more generally has a trinket hidden inside, called a fève, most often shaped like a baby (symbolizing, you guessed it, baby Jesus). It's usually porcelain or plastic, but fava beans have also been used. Being lucky enough to find the fève comes with both good fortune and responsibility: The person who comes across it is often dubbed that night's king or queen but is also tasked with acquiring the following year's cake or even putting on the entire party.

As for Mardi Gras itself, the date isn't the same from one year to the next. It always takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, of course, which places it exactly 46 days before Easter. The connection between the name "Fat Tuesday" and the beginning of Lent is fairly clear: It's the last day to eat rich, fatty foods — like a colorful cake — before many Christians fast for 40 days and 40 nights in addition to entirely abstaining from something like sweets, alcohol, or a certain behavior.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Thanks...

I was unaware of all of this...

Good post

America 1 Loc: South Miami

New Orleans, is a favorite city.
Travel there often, one time for Mardi Gras.
One time was enough and way too crowded.
Packed in like sardines on Bourbon Street.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

I've never had the desire...

Not a fan of French...

But love the cajun food

America 1 Loc: South Miami

Worth a visit especially for the food.
Great restaurants and chefs, Paul Prudhomme for one of the best.

Big dog

I went there in December ‘84, relatively quiet. Good food and good music everywhere.