Growing up in Louisiana, Mardi Gras was a holiday that our family celebrated each year. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday and is celebrated before Ash Wednesday.  Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats, and excitement.  We enjoyed days off from school and enjoyed the huge parade floats.  It was great to see the different floats filled with beads, coins, and feather boas. Every year, we would arrive at the parade early enough to get a good seat.  The parades were fun because I loved to sit roadside and catch the beads that were thrown from each float along with the candies I would collect and eat.

I also enjoyed the food that we share during this day, we enjoy king cake and other traditional Louisiana cuisines, such as red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, and dirty rice.  My mom, grandma, and I would gather in the kitchen and cook each dish.  The recipes were passed down from my great-grandmother.  The aroma that filled the air was heavenly.

We also celebrated at school.  My teacher brought in a king cake for our class to share. A king cake is similar to a cinnamon roll cake with green, gold, and purple frosting.  Some cakes are filled with cream cheese and fruit toppings.  There is a small plastic baby inside and whoever finds the baby receives good luck or has to bring the king cake the next year.  I was disappointed because I never found the baby, but it was still fun to enjoy king cake with my class.
 

– Cheniere Howard

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more