Celebrating Fat Tuesday

There’s not a holiday I can think of that we don’t love to celebrate, and Mardi Gras is a perennial favorite around here.

Thanks to my sweet friend A, who sent is a King Cake mix and King Cake coffee from NOLA, we have celebrated all season long!  Whit loved helping me make our first King Cake and we all enjoyed devouring it.

This coffee she sent was SO good.  I’ve restricted myself to just one cup per day to stretch it out as long as possible.  I brew it in my Keurig using these reusable k-cups.

For Fat Tuesday, I made our annual jambalaya dinner.  I did it in the Instant Pot (my Valentine’s gift arrived a little early!) and will definitely share the details on that soon.  In short, I loved it!

This year, a sweet and generous reader sent us a King Cake straight from NOLA to enjoy with our Fat Tuesday dinner!!  It was so yummy and such a kind treat.

King Cakes were thought to have originated in France around the 12th century as part of the Feast of the Epiphany, which is held on January 6th, exactly twelve days after Christmas.  This feast, also called King’s Day or Twelfth Night, honors the Magi, the Three Kings who traveled a great distance to bring gifts in adoration of the Christ Child.  The Feast of the Epiphany is the official beginning of the carnival season in New Orleans, which lasts from January 6th until Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday, the date of which varies from year to year.

French settlers brought the king cake tradition to Louisiana and king cake parties in New Orleans have been documented as far back as the 18th century.  These early king cakes had a bean, coin or other small token baked inside.  In later years, a tiny ceramic doll was introduced as the token, chose to represent the Christ Child.  The lucky recipient of the piece of cake with the hidden token was said to have good fortune for the coming year.

I love celebrating Fat Tuesday not just because it is fun and delicious, but also because of the history behind the traditions.  As Catholics, it is a great way for me to tie together Christmas, the Epiphany, and then the Lenten season which always starts the following day on Ash Wednesday.  <3

Happy Mardi Gras, y’all.  And many, many thanks to the girls that sent little pieces of NOLA to us here in Atlanta!

Everything Mardi Gras

DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED

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7 thoughts on “Celebrating Fat Tuesday

  1. Great celebration! I can’t wait for the Jambalaya recipe for the Instant Pot.

    As an fyi ~ you can find this coffee in most grocery stores. It’s available here at Kroger. That way you don’t have to limit yourself to one cup! :)

    xo
    Pat

    1. We have that brand but not that flavor. Checked publix, Kroger and target. I actually started looking for it last year!

  2. I got hooked on Community coffee on a visit to my father in laws in Hattiesburg, MS many years ago. At first, I couldn’t find it in my neck of the woods (central VA) but now we have several grocery stores that sell it and I also buy it in the K-pods.

  3. I always love your Fat Tuesday post! My husband and I just returned from Mardi Gras and had the most spectacular time. We have friends who ride in the Iris parade and the Bacchus parade and we even get to attend the ball (Bacchus Bash) after the Bacchus parade. This is our 3rd year to attend. I mean, any excuse to wear a ball gown is amazing, but getting to go to a ball in New Orleans is crazy fun. You would LOVE it!! Let me know if you and Honey would like to go next year. I can get you hooked up! ;-)

    1. That sounds like so much fun! I always love following along with Ron and Uptown Acorn on his Mardi Gras adventures. And, oh my gosh, I might need to take you up on that. I’ve never been to a ball!!!!!!!!!!

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