More King in the King Cake

Most everyone in the world thinks Mardi Gras is a few celebratory days in February, but as school children growing up in the mystical city of New Orleans down in south Louisiana, we knew there was something wonderful to anticipate in the days following Christmas. Every Friday at school, we couldn’t wait to eat king cake—the confectionary representation of the Epiphany, the time when the three kings followed the star of Bethlehem to worship the baby Jesus.

The iced circular cinnamon concoction is always topped with gold, green and purple sugar. Gold represents the precious metal that was given to the Christ child.? Green symbolizes the eternal life He brought us, and purple is the color reserved for royalty and represents His Majesty. In each king cake hides a plastic baby, which is, of course, Jesus. The lucky recipient of the baby will host the next party, or in the case of school children, bring the king cake the following Friday. As kids, we thought it quite an honor and a privilege to bring the king cake, but our mothers were probably not as thrilled when we arrived home, slammed the door and proudly announced, “I got the baby! We gotta bring the king cake for the class next week!”

My niece’s birthday falls in January and one year she chose a king cake as her birthday cake, stating that she felt Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would not mind sharing his birthday cake with her. Alas, the king cake is not referring to that King, although as a reverend and devout follower of our Lord, I imagine he would have gotten a chuckle from that story.

In addition to king cakes, Mardi Gras features the famous parades. The parades we grew up with were quite different from the ones the tourists see. Every weekend all over the city, families with young children bundle up against the cold to catch doubloons and plastic beads. One might think these trinkets were fine jewels by the occasional fights which break out, but all in all, these parades are predominately family-friendly affairs, in contrast to the ones the weekend before Fat Tuesday. No, these parades are for local New Orleanians. Dads stand on ladders mounted with plywood boxes they have carefully constructed for their toddlers to have prime seating to see the colorful floats and high school marching bands go by. The parade routes are lined with attendees by 8:00 am, and everything is packed up and done by noon to allow for lunch, then nap time.

The season of Mardi Gras ramps up to Fat Tuesday, so named for the final day feasting and indulgence before Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, a season of contemplation, prayer, and fasting.

Will this Mardi Gras season be different after the terror that occurred on New Years’ Day in which fourteen people lost their lives? One spokesperson said it best. “We honor the dead. We mourn for the dead. They will not be forgotten. This city has seen many tragedies from hurricanes to floods, but we aren’t going anywhere. This city always come back. This city takes care of one another. New Orleans is eternal.”

Governor Jeff Landry declared a day of remembrance for every victim. As the first parade of Mardi Gras began in the very French Quarter where the loss of life occurred, the event host of the Joan of Arc Parade hoped the message it brings is one of hope and resiliency.

It’s not surprising really. Mardi Gras reminds us we are all sons and daughters of the King of Kings.

Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Dr. Ellen Turner is a dermatologist at the Dermatology Office, and practices in both Dallas and Irving, Texas. Ready to take your skin to the next level? Book a consultation with Dr. Turner and her expert team to create a personalized skincare regimen. Or visit www. Dermofficedallas.com to book your skin consultation. Click the link in my bio to receive more email updates about DrEllenTurner.com which will launch in 2025!