Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is that great day of Catholic catharsis before the long forty days and nights of Lent. Today, even non-Catholics with nothing to forgo until Easter get in on the fun of Mardi Gras, which has become arguably the red-letter date on the New Orleans calendar. That changed this year. Last November, New Orleans announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the city’s famous Mardi Gras parade will not go on in 2021. That means no krewes, no king cakes, no feckless fun or light debauchery on Bourbon Street.
It’s heartbreaking for guest and host alike that you won’t be able to make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year. But you can bring the Latin spirit of Mardi Gras into the comfort of your own home with these fun ways to celebrate Mardi Gras at home.
Mix Your Own Hurricane
New Orleans is associated with any number of adult beverages—seriously, pick your poison. But perhaps no cocktail is synonymous with New Orleans like the Hurricane, a blend of rum and citrus that embodies the city’s status as a sweltering port city. Of course, you’ll need rum and lime juice, but what really sets the Hurricane apart is its use of passionfruit syrup, which you may have to shop around for. And no Hurricane lives up to its name without its trademark curvy glass. This will surely bring Bourbon Street to your home bar.
Bake Your Own Beignets
The beignet, a delectable pastry sprinkled in powdered sugar, is the signature pastry of New Orleans. Enjoy them with a cup of chicory coffee on the side for a true taste of the Crescent City. While a leisurely breakfast at the Café du Monde may be out of reach for now, all you need is a Dutch oven and some readily available ingredients to make classic New Orleans beignets in your own kitchen. It won’t be hard to, as they say in New Orleans, “make the groceries” for this task, and it’ll be worth every bite.
Order a King Cake
With a plate of beignets in the morning and a Hurricane in the evening, you may think you have all the fun ways to celebrate Mardi Gras at home. But how about, as New Orleanians say, some lagniappe—a little something extra? Less familiar beyond Louisiana among Mardi Gras traditions is the king cake, a ring-shaped pastry rich with eggs, cinnamon, and icing in the traditional purple, green, and gold of Mardi Gras. In addition to all that, what makes the king cake special is the baby figurine found within, which symbolizes good luck for the year ahead. Call your local specialty bakery—chances are they have the ingredients and the king cake baby necessary to make Mardi Gras 2021 truly unforgettable.
