User:Frenchgirl13

Hastings, Minnesota has been hosting Mardi Gras for over 20 years thanks to the two retired French teachers who created this school extravaganza and who have built it up over the years making it a tradition that the whole community is able to enjoy and participate in. The Hastings Mardi Gras is influenced by the well-known celebration in New Orleans that people from all over the world go to experience. Mardi Gras in Hastings is composed of games, beads, food, music, and the French culture of [New Orleans]. It typically lasts for three hours, once a year, the day before lent begins known as “Fat Tuesday.”

What is Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday or carnival that originates from the pagan celebration of spring dating back to a couple thousand years ago. Mardi Gras is a French term meaning “Fat Tuesday” and is seen to be the last day to enjoy a big meal before the forty days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

1699 marks the first year of Mardi Gras in the United States. This is the year that Iberville, a French explorer, set up camp on the bank of the Mississippi, 60 miles south of New Orleans, and named that site “Point du Mardi Gras” after the French celebration. Ever since, Mardi Gras has been a grand celebration for millions of people in New Orleans and elsewhere. Each year, nearly $840 million dollars is spent on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It is a worldwide phenomenon that has produced enormous success.

History of Mardi Gras in Hastings, Minnesota
Each year, Hastings high school joins the ranks of those who celebrate Mardi Gras on a grand scale. Time, effort, and amusement go into making Mardi Gras a success in Hastings. Started in 1991 by Brian and Sue Drummond, former dedicated French teachers at Hastings High School, Mardi Gras started as a small celebration for only high school students to enjoy and has grown into a yearly tradition for the whole community of Hastings to experience. Beginning in 2013, Erica Petersen and Jo Dougherty, new French teachers at Hastings High School, took the reins and carried on the tradition of hosting Mardi Gras.

Hastings Mardi Gras Traditions
From balloon stomps to cupcake eating contests to bouncy castles, Mardi Gras is sure to entertain both the young, the old, and everyone in between. Taking place in the high school’s large commons area and decorated with beads, streamers, gestures, and many other fun things associated with this holiday, it truly feels as if one were experiencing a traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras. People of any age are allowed to play games to their hearts’ content and participate in the bead throw, a tradition where seniors stand on the bridge in the commons and toss beads to those below on the hour at six and seven o’clock.

There is always an assortment of beverages to drink including soda and bottled water, and an array of different food items: pizza, crêpes, chocolate mousse, and fruit and fondue just to name a few. For those who feel more artistic than those who are inclined to play games, there are flower tissue making and face-painting stations.

In Hastings, "Laissez les bons temps rouler," the famous Mardi Gras slogan, holds true as everyone leaves happy, fed, and culturally enriched.

Why is Mardi Gras Important?
Many people associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans, and while it is true that New Orleans hosts one of the biggest Mardi Gras events in the world, it is also celebrated elsewhere. It is important because it allows people to experience a tradition that has been going on for centuries and to open their minds to cultural events. In Louisiana, lawmakers officially made Mardi Gras an official holiday in 1875. More importantly, Pope Gregory XIII in put Mardi Gras on the calendar so that each year people would be reminded of this day.