Tomorrow is Mardi Gras! Here’s How to Celebrate in Philly

You need not be a resident of Louisiana to celebrate Mardi Gras. New Orleans might have the corner on “traditional” Fat Tuesday celebrations in the United States, but the day is celebrated under many names all around the world – and that includes Philadelphia. Mardi Gras is historically the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which begins the 40-day observation of Lent. In the Catholic faith, Lent is a time of fasting, deprivation, and prayer as people think about the days before Christ’s death. Since all the good stuff – booze, meat, and sweets – were about to be forsaken, “Fat Tuesday” became the day to throw one hell of a party and use up all the goodies in the house before the privations of Lent kicked in the next day.

Mardi Gras is tomorrow, and celebrations will continue all week. How will you be living it up on Fat Tuesday?

Many Mardi Gras traditions are ones that you can celebrate right here in Philadephia, meaning that you too can laissaz les bon temps rouler, or let the good times roll! No celebration is complete without a king cake. Baked in a ring and traditionally iced with the colors of purple, green, and yellow, you can pick up a king cake of your very own at the Reading Terminal Market. Share it with your family and friends: whoever finds the small plastic figurine of the baby Jesus inside is said to either be blessed with good luck or obligated to buy next year’s cake!

We even have our own Mardi Gras parade! The Mummers have their parade through Manayunk next Sunday, wearing fantastic costumes and accompanied by over a dozen string bands! Pick up some beads at your local party shop and Bourbon Street will have nothing on your good time!

Of course, no Mardi Gras celebration would be complete without some delicious vittles. Get your fill of Cajun cuisine (po’ boys, okra, gumbo, crawfish, and more of the like) at several eateries throughout the City of Brotherly Love, including Beck’s Cajun Cafe, South Kitchen & Jazz Parlor, Khyber Pass Pub, and Chris’ Jazz Café. Many of these restaurants will also feature live music to put you in the Carnivale spirit!