Mardi Gras symbolizes the last hurrah before Ash Wednesday, before the Lent season starts. New Orleans is the most popular spot for the Mardi Gras celebration. People there wear beads and dance to festive jazz music.

In Room 121 February 28, French students wore beads and danced around to music just like the people in New Orleans. French Club members have their own unique way of celebrating the well known event: eating crepes and mingling with friends from the other French classes.

“I’ve done a Mardi Gras party as long as I’ve been at Pottsville. It’s a French tradition with a massive presence in the United States, so it’s something that many students are already familiar with. But my favorite is seeing students learning about new customs and trying new foods,” Mrs, Nicole Stiles, French teacher, said.

That is exactly what the students did this year. They tried a new food called King Cake, which is a dessert that multiple countries around the world often eat to kick off the pre-Lenten season.

“I have great-aunts who live in New Orleans, so Mardi Gras is a big thing for my family. I wanted to make beignets, but I didn’t have time so I got King Cakes instead. The history behind King Cake is kind of funny. They used to hide a bean in it, and whoever found it was a ‘king’ for the day and had to host the next party. But in the 1950s, they changed from beans to small plastic babies. Sadly, we looked, more like tore the cakes apart, and found no baby,” junior Ariana Ansel said.

Many students are already excited to celebrate next year’s Mardi Gras party.

“This is my second year going to the French Club’s Mardi Gras party. I really enjoyed going to it. We eat crepes and do crafts. It’s a fun time, and I can’t wait for next year,” junior Alyssa Vidal said.