Tomorrow is Mardi Gras. The day of bugnesand crêpes and waffles. It's also the day to dress up.
But do you know who invented Mardi Gras? Why do we celebrate Mardi Gras, and why?
Contrary to popular belief, Mardi Gras is first and foremost a pagan festival, with origins in Roman times. It was born to celebrate the imminent arrival of Spring, and heralded the start of the Calendes de Mars. It was a time for breaking all the rules, dressing up and feasting.
Mardi Gras is a day of celebration and abundance, with dancing, carnival costumes and "fat" pancakes, waffles and bugnes...... to the delight of young and old alike.
It was then that Christianity seized on it to disguise itself, to eat well before the Easter fast, and so sell off butter, eggs and flour before the start of Lent. Lent is a period of fasting imposed on Christians, who must eat lean until Easter.
The date of Mardi Gras changes every year, falling 47 days before Easter. It's celebrated all over the world.
To our kitchen scales, waffle irons, crepe makers, deep fryers ..... to cook and enjoy all your homemade cakes, cookies and other delicacies, with Chef Caro's recipes!
