Wiki Link re: Shrove Tuesday
Mardi Gras
And Ash Wednesday.
Tuesday – eating pancakes! This week doing a Kings’ Cake.
We listened to Dixieland Jazz (Pandora Radio) and talked about the music and we’re checking out the “Bayou Boogie” DVD inspired by “The Princess and the Frog” (which we’re also checking out from the library); reviewed the location of Louisiana, where New Orleans and briefly discussed hurricane Katrina; chatted about the traditions of Mardi Gras (kings’ cake, beads, doubloons, masks, balls, parades); explained the connection to Carnival and Fasching. Next week we’ll do the pancakes for breakfast and red beans & rice for dinner.
Then we quizzed the kids, which was fun, and ended with, “And why will we never let you go to Mardi Gras?” And Christopher answered correctly, “Because people act immodestly there?” 😀 Yes, yes indeed. Plus the drinking and such, but the Wiki article referenced the historical immodesty of Mardi Gras so we mentioned that in our discussion.
It was a fun mini unit study on Mardi Gras and New Orleans.
And here’s our nominee for Fat Tuesday mascot:
Kings’ Cake. It turned out way fatter than I anticipated. Two bread loaves worth of a sweetened dough, cream cheese filling (sugar, lemon, cream cheese) and a lemon-powdered sugar glaze. YUM! I used an almond instead of the traditional plastic baby, though Kit did say we could use the 12 week gestation plastic fetus. 🙂
My only prior experience with this cake was my sister making one for a class when we lived in Louisiana. I was a freshman in high school and our parents went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and left us home. They did bring back lots of beads and coins from the parades but I think they were wise to not bring their teenagers along for the carnival. 🙂
Movies for the kids that have Mardi Gras & Carnival – Disney’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame and “The Princess and the Frog.” (Update: I forgot, the Hunchback movie is dark and scary at times and has scenes of cruelty. I’m not sure how it’s a kids’ movie at all…)
Another New Orleans treat, beignets!
