The Carnival season in New Orleans, Louisiana starts on January 6 and culminates in a holiday called Mardi Gras that falls on the day before the Catholic holiday of Ash Wednesday. In 2025 it’s March 4th. Mardi Gras marks the start of Lent and translates to “Fat Tuesday” in French. This originated “from the custom of using all the fats in the home just before Lent in preparation for fasting” according to historians. Mardi Gras practices include the wearing of masks (traditionally used to remain anonymous), festive parades (organized by private social clubs), and colorful beads thrown to parade participants carry meaning, with purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.

A holiday favorite, King Cake—introduced by the French in the 19th century and closely tied to Catholics’ Three Kings Day—is a sweet pastry decorated in the same vibrant colors as Mardi Gras beads. Tradition holds that whoever finds the tiny baby Jesus figurine inside their slice is responsible for providing next year’s cake.

You can download and print the coloring activity below! See our video for inspiration on using purple, green, and gold, the colors that represent Mardi Gras!

References:

Betit, Jessica. 01 March 2020. What is Mardi Gras? Gardiner Public Library. https://gardinerpubliclibrary.org/what-is-mardi-gras/

Britannica. 05 Feb 2025. Mardi Gras. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Carnival-pre-Lent-festival