Celebrate Carnival Season with Planet Beach & Laissez les bons temps rouler – “Let the good times roll!”

This morning, I visited my favorite neighborhood coffee shop to pick up my daily dose of caffeine and, lo and behold, there was a King Cake available for purchase among the row of pastries, bagels and muffins. Then suddenly, the Hawketts Mardi Gras Mambo began playing in the background and just like that, it was Carnival Time!

January 6th commemorates Three Kings Day, a holiday celebrated in most Latin American and Caribbean countries. The holiday is associated with the traditional Christian feast day of Epiphany when the three wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. Many countries pay homage to the wise men by placing hay, grass or shoes under their beds in exchange for a special gift. In addition, there is a culinary tradition of making Rosca de Reyes (King’s Cake), which is an oval shaped pastry with a little doll inside representing baby Jesus.

Although there are a multitude of similarities between the two delicacies, the New Orleans King Cake tradition was thought to originate in France in 1870. The King Cake is an oval shaped mix of French pastry and coffee cake and is decorated in the royal colors of PURPLE which signifies “Justice,” GREEN for “Faith,” and GOLD for “Power.” Ironically, January 6th also signifies the official start of Carnival Season which is filled with colorful parades, masquerade balls and an unlimited supply of King Cake! Before you indulge in this little taste of heaven, you must know that if you are lucky enough to get the baby, then you must host the next party and supply the King Cake. The festivities continue for approximately two months and conclude on Mardi Gras Day or “Fat Tuesday” which is always held the day before Ash Wednesday.

This New Orleans tradition brings people together near and far for an amazing celebration and provides a sense of community filled with party goers living their best life. The parades start rolling on January 6th as the Krewe of Joan of Arc navigates the French Quarter and will continue through March 1st with the Krewe of Zulu taking to the streets with their elaborate costumes and their coveted coconuts. For a full list of parades and routes, visit https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/.

In preparation of the festivities, visit Planet Beach spray & spa to look your absolute best. This neighborhood spa originated in New Orleans, so they know how to make a girl look gorgeous. Slim up in the HOTWORX infrared Sauna or get a golden glow with a UV therapy or Sunless Spray Tan. Before you slip on that gown and head out the ball, stop by your nearest Planet Beach. To find a location in the New Orleans metro area or near your home town, visit https://planetbeach.com/spa-locator/.

Have a safe and Happy Mardi Gras Season and laissez les bons temps rouler – “Let the good times roll!”

Sources:
https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/
https://randazzokingcake.com/history
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/06/three-kings-day-holiday-second-christmas/9107753002/

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Written By: Jodie Mateu, VP of Special Events & Productivity