New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
| Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)
Among the most interesting Mardi Gras traditions is the King Cake, a ring-shaped loaf of sweet bread or cake. Its three colors of sugar represent desired qualities: purple (sovereignty), green (prosperity), and gold (purity). Charms made of metal or another oven-safe substance (often with trailing strings, so you can find them without biting into them) is baked into the cake for divination to tell what the coming year holds for you. These include a coin for wealth and a heart for love. The best is the baby, or king, which indicates great good fortune-and the person responsible for baking the next King Cake! Holiday lore: While most holidays across the world celebrate the lives and achievement of men, March 8 is one day wholly dedicated to the achievement and work of women. Originally inspired by a pair of mid-nineteenth-century ladies' garment workers' strikes, today the holiday is little known in its country of origin; though this day's legacy is clear in March's designation by the U.S. Congress as Women's History Month. Throughout the month, women's groups in many American towns hold celebrations and events, concerts, exhibitions, and rituals that recall heroic and gifted women of every stripe |
