Apr 10 2008
Mardi Gras
We have started our new unit in French class – Mardi Gras. Today we will spend some time researching our new topic. Who celebrates Mardi Gras? Why do they celebrate it? Why are we learning about this in French class? What is the French connection? What is interesting about this particular festival? Post your findings here.
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How Stuff Works has some good information about Mardi Gras. Check out the website! http://www.howstuffworks.com/mardi-gras.htm
Another good website from the city of New Orleans.
This site introduces you to the major participants of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, provides updated parade information and parade routes, the truth about our Mardi Gras traditions, the best places to get your Mardi Gras beads, masks, and kingcakes … and more! http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/
During our Madi Gras reserch class i found out that Mardi Gras is french for fat tuesday and that it was brought to North America from France in 1699. Its celebrated in many differnet countries including The United States, The Caribbean, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany Guetemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Spain and Sweden. I also found out that one of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations is held in New Orleans
Mardi Gras is French for fat Tuesday and is the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, the three day period preceding the beginning of Lent, the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday. The entire three day period has now come to be known in many areas as Mardi Gras. Perhaps the cities most famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations include New Orleans, Louisiana, Mobile, Alabama and Sydney, Australia.
I have fond a lot of information about Mardi Gras. Things like where it’s held, when it is, and what type it is. This is the website where I found that information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras
I learned that Belgium, Brazil, Caribbean nations, Colombia, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Panama , Slovenia,Spain, Sweden and tha United States all celebrate Mardi Gras. We are learning about Mardi Gras because it came from France, and this is French class. This was a french holiday that came over in 1699 with the explorers and thet celebrated it on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Something that interested me when I was searching was that a very popular custom was that when someone baked a King Cake they baked a plastic baby inside the King Cake, and whoever receives the baby in their piece of cake must buy the next King Cake, or throw the next party!
Kirsten
What I learnd about Mard Gras is were it is held, who is celebrating in, when it is, what is it for.
A lot of people in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mobile, New Orleans, and Sydney, Australian. And Al ot of People come Around the World to Celebrate. Once it was an Catolic Holiday but now everybody who wants to it. Why do we learn that in French Class? Because some stuff is in french too. Interesting facts about it are the Costumes they were, what they eat, the music, the parade.
http://www.mardigrasday.com/
http://www.perfectpartybycody.com/b_section.asp?ID=15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras
I learned that Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, and is the day before “Ash Wednesday”.
Many countries celebrate Mardi Gras.
The cities most famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations include New Orleans, Louisiana, Mobile, Alabama and Sydney, Australia.
http://www.wikipedia.org
The most interesting part of this festival to me is how much time and art supplies they would need to make all of the masks, costumes, floats, etc. I think that the people take it pretty seriously and make a lot of effort to make Mardi Gras such a huge celebration. I think we’re learning this is French class because the “Mardi Gras” is French! I thought it was funny that if you go to Mardi gras, you would feel out of place without a costume, instead of feeling weird wearing a costume!
Mardi Gras came to New Orleans through its French heritage in 1699. Early explorers celebrated this French Holiday on the banks of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years, Orleanians have added to the celebration by establishing krewes (organizations) which host parades and balls. Carnival quickly became and The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as “Epiphany”, “Twelfth Night”, or “Kings Day.” It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.
Marching bands, some of them founded more than a century ago, also take to the streets with music and festive dress. They open the day by spreading jazz music through the city before the more than 350 floats and 15,000 costumed paraders take over the scene. Crazy costumes and wild make-up are the order of the day for paraders and parade-watchers alike. The most lavish get-ups can be seen at the cross-dressing beauty pageants in the French Quarter, where bawdy costuming may reach new heights (over seven feet, in heels).
What i learned about Mardi Gras( french for fat tuesday) is that it was brought to America in 1699 by the french. It is also celebrated all over North and South america, Europe, and Australia. People make home-made masks and costumes to celebrate it and some people make big cakes, called a ” King’s Cake”. Mardi Gras is celebrated the day after Ash Wednesday.
What I learned about Mardi Gras which is french for fat tuesday is that it was brought to America by the french in 1699. People make masks and they eat kingcakes. Mardi Gras is celebrated all over the world.
I have done an activity in the past with my French students to recreate a Mardi parade. Take shoe boxes and turn them over to create “floats” on them. DEcorate them and line them up somewhere as a parade. Get creative as a teacher I was read about and have the kids put remote control cars under the boxes so they can actually move the floats!