As you are all aware, the Holiday season is gone, we are all back to work and trying to deal with this cold weather… Does it mean that it is not time for partying anymore? Absolutely not! March is approaching which means the carnival season is almost there. The carnival season extends from the feast of Epiphany – that takes place on January 6^th – until Mardi Gras that falls on Tuesday, March 4^th in 2014. Literally “Fat Tuesday” in French, Mardi Gras is a day for music, parades, costumes and fun that takes place the day before Ash Wednesday.

The best and most well-known Mardi Gras party is of course in New Orleans but if you can’t make it this year, you can still host your own Mardi Gras party and have an amazing time by gathering some friends and re-creating the carnival spirit.

The first thing you have to worry about when hosting a Mardi Gras party is of course the food! The best option is to go for many mini appetizers and mini dishes. Not only you can thus satisfy everyone by serving different things, but it is also easier to keep track on. Whenever you feel like the table is too empty you just have to bring more appetizers! Gumbo and boiled shrimps are a classic Mardi Gras food. Serve them on skewers for a nice presentation and don’t forget to also serve other kebabs for those who are not too fond of shrimps. Go for mini appetizers in mini dishes such as verrines to be served with it in order to keep a classy and upscale image throughout the night! Don’t forget to display different type of sauces to make sure everyone can find one they like.

But the most important part of a Mardi Gras party is of course the King Cake. Tradition coming from France, the King Cake maker hides a tiny one inch token inside of it and the finder of the little treasure gets good favors from the other guests, good luck for the coming year and sometime gets designated to host next year’s Mardi Gras party.

After you have decided what food you are going to serve and how to display it, don’t forget to think about decorations! Mardi Gras is all about fun and entertainment. Decorate your house with the traditional colors! Purple (for justice), green (for faith) and gold (for power) are the three main colors of this amazing party. Get plenty of brightly colored beads and hand them to your guests to set the mood, but don’t forget not to throw them away after the party: you want to be able to use them year after year instead of wasting them!

And when it comes to entertainment, it is of course all about having fun, enjoying music, wearing costume and mask and getting creative with some face painting activities! Encourage your guests to follow the Mardi Gras spirit and “let the good times rolls!”

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