What is Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras is a holiday that begins on or after Epiphany and culminates on the day before Ash Wednesday. Epiphany, which is also known as Three Kings Day and Twelfth Day, falls on the twelfth day after Christmas, or January 6. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. The date of Ash Wednesday occurs as early as February 4 or as late as March 10 depending on the date of Easter, which falls on the Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon. The Mardi Gras, or Carnival, season ends on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
Popular Mardi Gras traditions include wearing masks and costumes, collecting beads and other throws from parades, eating King Cake, and other general merriment. Masquerade balls are a popular tradition in the South during the Mardi Gras season. Mardi Gras celebrations are especially prominent in New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama. The colors associated with the Mardi Gras holiday are purple, green, and gold.
King Cake is an especially popular treat during Mardi Gras. A King Cake is a cake in which a small trinket, often a small plastic baby that represents Baby Jesus, is baked inside. The person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket must bring a King Cake to the next celebration. The simplest type of King Cake is a ring of twisted bread that is topped with icing and purple, green, and gold sugar.
In many areas of the United States, in the South especially, people decorate for the Mardi Gras season with purple, green, and gold decorations. Doorways are decorated with purple, green, and gold ribbons and wreaths. Homes and business will put up Mardi Gras trees decorated with purple, green, and gold lights and decorations. Mardi Gras is a time of celebration before the self-denial of the Lenten season.
My brother lived in Mobile, Alabama for years. While on vacation a few years ago to visit him, my daughter and I discovered the beauty that is the Mardi Gras season. I am always looking for an excuse to decorate my house, and Mardi Gras seems like such a fun holiday! After Valentine’s Day this year, I added some green and gold lights to my white winter lights in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day and for Mardi Gras. I am also completely obsessed with making wreaths to display around my home throughout the year. This year I made a Mardi Gras wreath for my mom and a second one for myself. I purchased all my materials except the washi tape at the Dollar Tree.
Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath
Materials
- Green tinsel garland wreath
- Green, purple, and gold Mardi Gras beads
- Green, purple, and gold garland
- Green sparkle ribbon
- Hot glue
Directions
- Cut the Mardi Gras bead necklaces into long strands.
- Glue purple and gold beads on the front of the green tinsel garland wreath.
- Tie and glue a piece of green sparkle ribbon around the top of the wreath to create a hanger.
- Glue the green, purple, and gold garland around the outside edge of the wreath.
- Glue a strand of gold beads around the outside edge of the wreath.
- Display the green tinsel Mardi Gras wreath.
Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath
Materials
- Foam wreath
- Gold washi tape
- Green, purple, and gold garland
- Green, purple, and gold Mardi Gras beads
- Green sparkle ribbon
- Hot glue
Directions
- Cut the Mardi Gras bead necklaces into long strands and individual pieces.
- Wrap the washi tape around the foam wreath.
- Wrap the green, purple, and gold garland around the wreath, securing the garland on the back with hot glue.
- Wrap a strand of green beads around the wreath, securing the beads on the back with hot glue.
- Tie and glue a piece of green sparkle ribbon around the top of the wreath to create a hanger.
- Glue individual beads around the front of the wreath.
- Display the gold washi tape Mardi Gras wreath.
References
Mardi Gras: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras
Mardi Gras History and Traditions: http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/quartermardi.html
Image Credits
Celebrating Mardi Gras: How to Make a Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Materials for Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Adding Gold Beads to Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Adding Purple Beads to Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Adding the Green Ribbon Hanger to Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Adding Garland to Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Adding Gold Beads to Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Finished Green Tinsel Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Materials for Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Wrapping the Foam in Tape for the Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Garland for the Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Adding the Green Ribbon Hanger to the Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Beads for Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson
Finished Gold Washi Tape Mardi Gras Wreath © 2017 Heather Johnson