Want to know my favorite holiday of the spring semester? Well, Mardi Gras, to me, is definitely it. All the bright colors, the parties, the music, and especially the food is all-around amazing! Although now with COVID-19 bringing in some complications to celebrating this amazing holiday, you can still make it fun while being at home!
A few must-haves for a COVID appropriate Mardi Gras at home should include a king cake, delicious cocktails, colorful decorations, and New Orleans style jazz. Even having a zoom meeting with friends where everyone can dress up and wear beads or a masquerade mask could be just as fun! An idea for a zoom Mardi Gras celebration could be to have everyone make a Mardi Gras drink or dish and share the recipes with everyone or have everyone make the drink while on zoom. Also delivering king cake to close friend’s houses or a Mardi Gras party box could also be a good idea when trying to avoid large groups or in-person contact.
One way to celebrate Mardi Gras from home is getting a King Cake. A king cake is definitely one of the best parts of Mardi Gras and it’s only available during Mardi Gras season! The best part of the king cake is finding the baby inside the cake, whoever finds it has to buy the cake the next year. The history of the baby in the cake comes from the arrival of the wise men when they were giving the gifts to baby Jesus. King cake is typically supposed to be eaten on January 6th to mark Ephiphany or the Twelfth night. Here in Oxford, there are only so many places that can sell them. The Cakery, Bottletree, and King’s Steakhouse are all selling delicious king cakes. You can buy one from any of these places and take it home to have that little piece of Mardi Gras at home.
Another way to make your celebration fun from home is by making Mardi Gras themed cocktails. One signature cocktail is the Hurricane, which was created at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans. The Hurricane consists of 2 ounces of light and dark rum, 1⁄2 ounce of passion fruit, 1 ounce of orange juice, splash grenadine, fresh lime juice, orange slices, and some maraschino cherries. Another signature drink that is served in New Orleans is the Hand Grenade. The Hand Grenade contains 1 1⁄2 ounce of gin, 1 1⁄2 ounce of watermelon liquor, 1 1⁄2 of grain alcohol (or Everclear), 1 1⁄2 ounce of vodka, and 1 1⁄5 ounce of rum. These drinks will definitely make sure that you have a good time celebrating with friends, just be sure to drink responsibly and make sure that guests have a ride home.
All of these things, food, drinks, decorations, and music can be a feast for all of the senses! The end of Mardi Gras season falls on Tuesday, February 16th so be sure to be careful and have a good time!
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