French Club Celebrates Mardi Gras

On Tuesday, March 15, French Club hosted a day-long Mardi Gras presentation in the library to celebrate the holiday. Originally scheduled to be on March 8th, the actual date of Mardi Gras, the presentation was re-scheduled due to CAHSEE testing.
Along with a PowerPoint presentation introducing Mardi Gras, the library showcased displays highlighting different eras in French history – including a prehistoric display with a primitive Fabio and a remote-controlled pterodactyl and one depicting the future of France, complete with mustached aliens. Other eras covered included the Renaissance, 17th century, and 20th century, all of which were made by different periods of French classes. The presentation also included a lively sword fight between Sophomores Michael Elsner and David Hu over Sophomore Amber Bowner, courtesy of the Renaissance display. Other attractions included a bead-selling booth with a wide array of colorful Mardi Gras necklaces and a fortune-telling booth run by Junior Krishan Rao, who gave fortunes on anything from being the next Serena Williams to who to go with to prom.
Mardi Gras celebrates the Twelfth Night of the Epiphany, the day three kings were said to have first visited Jesus. It is now often used to describe the entire Carnival season, which occur right before Lent and whose main purpose is to get rid of rich food before Lent begins. Its name, which literally translates into “Fat Tuesday” in French, is derived from the fact it falls right before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and thus, the last day of the Carnival festivities. Today, it is commonly celebrated with parades, masked balls, and street parties and is associated with beaded necklaces and the colors purple, green, and gold (symbolizing justice, faith, and power respectively).
The presentation and displays were set up by French Club and is a yearly event enjoyed by around a dozen classes each year.