by J M K

Created on: January 17, 2008   Last Updated: February 12, 2010

I spent four years in New Orleans and I learned a thing or two about Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is your chance to act wild and let it all out before lent. If you are not lucky enough to visit the city of sin for this year's festival, think about holding your own Mardi Gras party. Below are my tips to making a Mardi Gras party fun and authentic. Read on and please, let the good times roll!

Mardi Gras Decorations
Everything is purple, green gold, flashy and glittery during the month-long celebration in NOLA. To compete make sure to decorate in the traditional purple, green, and gold; said to signify justice, faith, and power in that order and date back to 1872. Cover your house or party area in purple, green and gold garland, streamers, and glitter.

Provide your guests with masks to enable them to "release their sins" anonymously. Then have boas and of course Mardi Gras beads (cheap long strands of colorful beads that can be purchased at any party store) on hand.

During Mardi Gras, each parade and sometimes each float throws different items, besides beads. These items include Mardi Gras themed plastic cups, small dolls, small nerf footballs, decorative coins and the Zulu parade throws hand-painted coconuts. Other small souvenirs are thrown as well.

Mardi Gras goers tend to dress up in random costumes so make your party costume themed. In the true theme of Mardi Gras, throw an "anything but clothes" party and tell guests they can wear anything but clothes to your party.

A Mardi Gras Feast
New Orleans is like its own country with a unique culture and to go with it, a unique menu. For breakfast or dessert, whip up beignets (a French doughnut) and top them with lots of powdered sugar. Serve beignets with chicory (a strong and bitter coffee) or caf au lait (espresso with steamed milk). New Orleans is known for decadent breakfasts like eggs benedict, eggs sardou, and piles of French toast.

For an afternoon or evening gathering, think crawfish (they are smaller than shrimp but they taste like crab). Crawfish gumbo, crawfish jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, or just simple boiled crawfish. For a real treat make authentic NOLA turtle soup. Don't forget a side of red beans and rice. Red beans and rice is traditionally served on Mondays in New Orleans. For an authentic New Orleans dessert, there is only one item - bananas foster. Bananas foster was first served at Brennan's Restaurant in the French quarter.

To make it officially, you must have a king cake. The yellow cake tastes

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