Last week, one of my French classes enjoyed a MAJOR treat.  A very generous parent had an authentic New Orleans King Cake shipped to us here in Michigan.  It was from Manny Randazzo King Cakes and let me tell you, it was DEEEE-LIC-OUS!  Everyone loved it!

The cake arrived safely and well packed to its destination.

This gorgeous poster greeted me as I opened the box.

This little bag of goodies included information about Mardi Gras traditions, beads, doubloons, and a mask for our king/queen of the party.  (The person who received the special piece of cake with the plastic baby inside.)

Looks yummy, n’est-ce pas?

If you can’t get your own authentic cake shipped this year, you can create a simple version at home by purchasing a couple of tubes of refrigerator cinnamon rolls, braiding them together into a ring, and then baking in the oven.  Once it’s cooled, you can decorate the top with icing and colored sprinkles.  Be sure to hide something (safe) inside so that you’ll be able to crown a king or a queen.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday.” How can a day be fat? And why all the French? Let’s look at a little history to learn about Louisiana’s French Connection:

• A French King, Louis XIV, sent explorers to the Mississippi River. In 1682, one of these explorers reached the river’s mouth, claimed it for France, and named the area Louisiane or Louis’ land.
• A subsequent expedition was led by Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville in 1699. The day before Mardi Gras, he established a camp about 60 miles from present-day New Orleans. In honor of the holiday, this spot was named Point du Mardi Gras.
• In 1718, another French explorer founded New Orleans as a permanent settlement. This colony was named in honor of the Duc l’Orleans.
• In 1803, France’s Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sold Louisiana to the United States in what is known as the Louisiana Purchase.
• Other settlers to Louisiana were the Acadiens, or Cajuns. The Cajuns were also French, but they had originally settled in Nova Scotia, Canada. They were forced to leave as a result of the French-Indian War in 1755, and eventually settled in the rural areas of Louisiana, such as the bayou or marshes.
• French is the second most spoken language in Louisiana and traditions such as Mardi Gras have taken on a life all their own. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The forty days of Lent is a serious time of fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter. Mardi Gras is the last night of eating rich, fatty foods. Get it? FAT Tuesday!
• Actually, Mardi Gras is more than just mardi, or Tuesday. It is a carnival or festival that takes place for a few weeks between Epiphany (January 6) and Ash Wednesday. In New Orleans, the festivities include parades, costumes, and balls. The events are staged by Carnival Organizations called krewes.  The official Mardi Gras colors are purple, green, and gold.

Learn some French in honor of the rich French heritage surrounding Louisiana’s Mardi Gras.

Here are some basic terms you should know:

Bonjour – Hello

Au revoir – Goodbye

Merci - Thank you

S’il vous plaît - Please

Oh là là! – Oh my!

Vert – Green

Violet – Purple

Or – Gold

Laissez-les bons temps rouler! – Let the good times roll!

You can teach your elementary students these new French words while introducing them to the customs of a traditional New Orleans. Purchase the original Readers Theater “Beauregard’s Mardi Gras” at this link.

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Image credit:  http://morguefile.com/archive/display/214130

I wrote the following stories/activities for French classes.  Click for ordering information:

Mardi Gras Storytelling and Thematic Unit

Mardi Gras Gouin Series (included in thematic unit)

Mardi Gras Readers Theater (included in thematic unit)