Celebrating Mardi Gras at the Junction

Many of TAMU’s students hail from Louisiana and Texas’s Gulf Coast where Mardi Gras is a celebration as big as Christmas. Mardi Gras is a festival day traditional that harkens back to the Middle Ages. Also known as ‘Fat Tuesday’, this is the day for everyone to indulge in rich foods and drinks before the long Catholic fast of Lent begins.

But you don’t have to be Catholic to celebrate this festivity. Nor do you have to live in New Orleans, the Mardi Gras capital. Rather, you can celebrate and share your love of this holiday right here at the Junction Cottages & Townhomes. Just check out the following tips for celebrating Mardi Gras at home:

Tips for Throwing a Mardi Gras Celebration at The Junction Cottages & Townhomes

  • Decorate with Mardi Gras colors. Whether you plan on making your apartment or the outdoor grill area ground zero, use Mardi Gras colors to decorate. Purple, green, and gold are the shades of celebration for this holiday. Use streamers and tinsel garland to decorate doorways and around countertops. Mardi Gras paper lanterns can be found at most party supply stores and are great for hanging around your home and outdoor party areas.
  • Make or buy mardi gras masks. Masks are an essential component of Mardi Gras celebrations. In fact, most New Orleans organizations require their float participants on the massive Mardi Gras parade to don masks over their faces! Be a part of the tradition and craft your beautiful mask with some Pinterest inspiration. Consider also stocking up on some cheap masks and colorful Mardi Gras beads for the less crafty of your party attendees.
  • Feast with a crawfish boil. A crawfish boil is a fantastic and delicious way to feed a bunch of people in a truly traditional Gulf Coast way. The outdoor grill stations we have onsite at the Junction Cottages & Townhomes offer everything you need to throw an outstanding crawfish boil. Check out this Lousiana Crawfish Boil recipe to get started. Pro tip, grab several small galvanized tubs or colorful (purple, green, and/or gold) plastic buckets to put around the eating area to make it easy for people to chuck away their shells and paper plates.

Don’t forget to pick up a king cake, or you can track down the legendary Blue Bell ice cream!

How Do You Celebrate Mardi Gras?

Have your own tips and traditions for celebrating this big feast day? Let us know in the comments and contact the front staff if you need any help throwing your home Mardi Gras celebration!