In the Lake Area
KING CAKES
THE LAKE CHARLES MARDI GRAS GALA
FAT TUESDAY
Mardi Gras: “An occasion of great
festivity and merrymaking.
[French : Mardi,
Tuesday + gras, fat (from the feasting on Mardi gras before Lenten
fasting).”
The celebration of Mardi Gras season has evolved over the
centuries, with each culture adding its own unique rituals. The New Orleans
tradition, borrowing heavily from European influences, is believed to have
begun in the 1870's. Because the Mardi Gras season always starts of the 6th
of January, but ends early or late, depending on the date of Easter, the season
length varies significantly.
Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, is twelve days after Christmas and always occurs on the 6th day of January. It symbolizes the day that the three kings arrived to honor the birth of Christ. For revelers, it marks the official beginning of the Mardi Gras season. In Lake Charles, it is traditionally celebrated at the Civic Center with the presentation of the currently reining Kings, Queens and Captains from the Lake Area Krews. The festivities include King Cake (get a baby and win a prize), drawings with prizes, and a dance afterward.
King Cakes are the traditional treat of Mardi Gras. Their purple,
green and gold colors are the colors of Mardi Gras representing Justice, Faith
and Power. The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around the
12th century where early Europeans celebrated the coming of the three wise men.
The main part of the celebration was the baking of a King Cake to honor the
three Kings. The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route used by
the Kings to get to the Christ Child and confuse King Herod, who was trying to
follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ Child. A bean, pea or coin, was
hidden inside these early King Cakes. The person who got the hidden piece was
declared King for the day, or was said to have good luck in the coming year.
Today King Cake Parties are held, not just on twelfth night, but through the
Mardi Gras Season. A small plastic baby, representing the Christ Child, has
come to replace the 
bean or pea. Often a series of King Cake Parties are conducted with the person
getting the baby in their piece of cake, providing the King Cake for the next
party.
The Lake Charles Mardi Gras Gala is usually held the on the Monday before Fat Tuesday. It is traditionally celebrated at the Civic Center with the presentation of the Krewe Captains and their newly coronated Kings, Queens and royal courts. More than forty Lake Area Krews usually participate in this event.
Fat Tuesday, or the day of Mardi Gras, may occur on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. It occurs the day before Ash Wednesday and is always 46 days before Easter.
Fat Tuesday will occur on the
following dates:
2007 February 20
2008 February 5
2009 February 24
2010
February 16
2011 March 8
2012 February 21
2013 February 12
2014 March 4
2015 February 17
2016 February 9
2017 February 26
2018 February 13
2019 March 5
2020 February 25
The Krewe of
Krewe’s Parade is the grand
fanally of the Lake Area Mardi Gras season. With virtually all of the Area
Krewes participating, the three and one-half mile
parade
starts at the Civic center, proceeds down
Broad and Ryan Street, and ends just
short of McNeese University. Thousands of spectators, young and old, big and
small, line the parade route jockeying for “throws” of beads, cups, stuffed
animals and the occasional package of
Moon Pies.
THROW ME SOMETHIN MISTER ! ! !