A fifth-grade class at Ira Cross Elementary School received a lesson on the history and traditions of Mardi Gras complete with beads and king cake.
The group at Ira Cross Elementary School, connected to Communities in Schools, found out that Tuesday, the day after the President’s Day holiday, was Fat Tuesday.
That day leads to Ash Wednesday, the start of lent, which this year is Feb. 18 to April 2.
Traditionally, Fat Tuesday is a day to feast in preparation for a period of fasting that ends on Maundy Thursday just before Easter.
It was French settlers that brought the Mardi Gras tradition to the North American continent.
The first Mardi Gras celebration in America was in 1703 in Mobile, Alabama, which at that time was part of Louisiana.
The more famous celebrations with parades, beads and masks happen in New Orleans. That tradition goes back to the 1830s and this year is scheduled Feb. 6 to 17.
At Ira Cross, CIS Site Director Nor’Randa Smith shared her own memories from growing up in Louisiana.
She provided beads and led students in making their own masks and also served apple and cinnamon king cake. One of the pieces even contained a plastic baby, promising good luck to the person who found it.
Smith grew up in a military family and experienced a lot of Mardi Gras during a stay at Fort Polk, La. She was excited to share a taste of the celebration with students in Killeen.
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