Mardi Gras - American

Hello! I am a fun celebration called Mardi Gras! People have big parties and parades to celebrate me. It all happens right before a quiet time begins for many people. I have three very special colors that you will see everywhere. My first color is purple. Purple is a beautiful color that stands for justice. My next color is green. Green is a happy color that stands for faith. My last color is gold, which shines like the sun. Gold is a bright color that stands for power. Purple, green, and gold are my beautiful colors!

One of the best parts of my celebration is the big parades! So many people line the streets to watch. They see amazing floats moving slowly down the road. These floats are like big, colorful stages on wheels. Groups of people called 'krewes' work hard to build them. People standing on the floats wear fun costumes and pretty masks to hide their faces! From high up on the floats, they toss special things to the crowds. They toss shiny beads and little toys for everyone to catch. It is so exciting to watch the parade go by!

Do you like cake? During my celebration, people eat a special sweet treat. It is called a King Cake. This yummy cake is often shaped like a circle. It is decorated with sweet, colored sugar. The sugar is purple, green, and gold, just like my special colors! But there is a secret surprise hidden inside the cake. Someone hides a tiny baby figure somewhere in the dough. If you find the baby in your slice of cake, people say you will have good luck! Celebrating with parades, colors, and cake is how people enjoy my special time.