Mardi Gras Birthday Party Ideas
Mardi Gras -- one of the biggest parties in the United States -- is known for its lavish parades with floats carrying masked people throwing beads. Although several cities have Mardi Gras celebrations, the biggest one is thrown in New Orleans. Host a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras birthday party for a fun-loving person in your life. Does this Spark an idea?
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Invitations
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Start your Mardi Gras party off with the invitations, which should incorporate the traditional Mardi Gras colors of yellow, green and purple. Consider invitations shaped like Mardi Gras masks, or with pictures of masks printed on them. Put the basic party information on the invitations, including date, time, venue and RSVP information, along with the well-known New Orleans phrase, "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roule," which means "Let the Good Times Roll."
Decorations
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Mardi Gras parties are known for their lavish decorations, so don't let the Mardi Gras birthday party you are throwing be an exception. Decorate with tablecloths and linens in yellow, green and purple. Create centerpieces using large Mardi Gras masks, colorful beads and feather boas. Make street signs out of cardboard and print the names of famous New Orleans streets on them, such as Bourbon, Tchoupitoulas and Jackson Square. Hang the street signs on the walls around the room.
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Food and Drinks
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Give your Mardi Gras birthday party an authentic feel by serving traditional New Orleans-style food. Some popular choices include crawfish, jambalaya, etouffee and gumbo. If you aren't sure how to make these foods yourself, have the party catered by a local restaurant that specializes in New Orleans-style cuisine. A birthday party would not be complete without a cake, so order a king cake, which is popular during Mardi Gras, for the guest of honor. If you are throwing a birthday party for someone of legal drinking age, serve cocktails that are popular in New Orleans as well, such as hurricanes.
Activities
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Don't forget to plan some activities for you Mardi Gras birthday party. If you are going all out for this party, rent a couple parade floats and have them driven through the party with people throwing beads and other small toys to the party guests. Another idea is to hire a jazz or blues band and let your guests dance the night away.
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References
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