Celebrate Mardi Gras Festival
Mardi Gras is a Christian festival that was originally celebrated by European Christians to prepare for Lent and Easter. Mardi Gras Day is a day to eat rich foods before the fasting period of Lent and it is also known to some as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday.
The name Mardi Gras is a French term that means Fat Tuesday and is used to describe the custom of consuming decadent foods that are high in calories and fat the day before the Lenten season begins. The festival season of Mardi Gras varies from city to city around the world. Some consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from the Twelfth Night (the Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday, while others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras season.
The most famous Mardi Gras celebration in North America is held New Orleans and is celebrated with parades, elaborate costumes and a lot of great food. Brighten the dull days of winter with a Mardi Gras celebration of your own! Your seniors will enjoy the opportunity to socialize with friends, family and staff members.
Traditional New Orleans food has been influenced by cuisines around the world, such as French, Caribbean, Italian and West African. Many of these influences are found in modern Cajun and Creole cuisine today.
Mardi Gras MEnu
At Maple Leaf, we’ve created the following New Orleans-inspired recipes and menu ideas that will help get you started in planning your own Mardi Gras Menu.
Sparkling juice and cider in a celebratory glass
BBQ Beef Ribette Sandwich, featuring Maple Leaf’s BBQ Beef Ribette (link to recipe)
Cajun Pulled Beef Wrap or Roast Beef Wrap, featuring Maple Leaf’s Pulled Bee or Maple Leaf’s Sure Slice Roast Beef
Chipotle Breaded Veal on a Bun, featuring Maple Leaf’s Breaded Veal Cutlette
Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya with Rice, featuring Maple Leaf’s Diced Chicken and Maple Leaf’s Oktoberfest Smoked Sausage
Chicken Gumbo with Roasted Potatoes, using Maple Leaf’s Pulled Chicken
Beignets or Sugared Donuts
Theme Day Activities
Get your seniors involved by encouraging them to participate in the preparations and fun of your Mardi Gras Festival.
Decorations – Decorate your dining tables and areas with Mardi Gras beads and anything shiny that is green, gold and purple.
Music – Enjoy traditional Mardi Gras Music; try YouTube’s Mardi Gras Party Classics.
Beads – Purple, gold and green beads are traditional Mardi Gras accessories. Get your residents in the spirit by passing out beads for them to wear as they enter the dining room.
Masks – Add a bit of mystery to your Mardi Gras festivities with masks. Either provide ready-to-wear masks or have your residents decorate plain masks with feathers and beads.
Scavenger Hunt – hide gold coins or doubloons throughout your home for your residents to find.
Movies – Watch movies that feature New Orleans or Mardi Gras such as: A Streetcar Named Desire, New Orleans or King Creole.
Parade – Host a Mardi Gras parade.
