The month of February marks the beginning of many annual celebrations and jubilations, many of them leading into the following months. These unique traditions have varied backgrounds, several stemming from religion and evolving through the years. Students celebrate customs of the month, such as eating certain foods, sometimes unbeknownst to their backgrounds. More students recognize and value their traditions, whether it be from family or friends, and tell their stories to others.
February launches sundry celebrations, such as Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday.” Every year, Mardi Gras changes to any day between Feb. 3 to March. 9. This year Mardi Gras will be on March. 4, celebrations will begin and continue throughout February for many. Mardi Gras derives from the French holiday alluding to the last day of feasting before Lent fasting. Those who celebrate Mardi Gras often travel to populated areas for jubilations, the most prominent to its history being the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, and its birthplace in Mobile, Alabama.
“My family travels to Mobile for Mardi Gras and really enjoys it,” Hailey Stinar (12) said. “They always bring Moon Pies back for me and my siblings, and I hope someday I can join them.”
Mardi Gras is also often celebrated by families and students at home, with traditional foods and goods used as an anchor for the holiday. Many buy Paczki, a Polish doughnut filled with jams, poppyseed fillings or custards. Another popular dessert is King Cake, a cake often baked with cinnamon and pecans that is conventionally adorned with green, gold and purple icing, which are all representative of different aspects of Mardi Gras. Green is said to symbolize growth and faith, gold represents prosperity and power and purple signifies justice. Baked inside the cake is a small, porcelain baby, representing Jesus, which can be found by anyone eating the dessert. The individual who discovered the hidden baby in their slice gets to be “king” or “queen” and is expected to buy the following year’s King Cake.
“My entire life [my family has] been eating King Cake around Mardi Gras,” Erica Young (12) said. “My mom’s side is from Louisiana and it is a big thing down there, and I like it because King Cake tastes really good.”
Lent, a Christian holiday anticipating the resurrection of Christ during Easter, starts on March. 5, but many begin preparations for the time period early. Lent is often celebrated by a large sum of the student body, religious or not, on Fridays during Lenten Fish Fries. Churches, restaurants and bars around the district host Fish Fries every four Fridays leading up to Lent for people to come and eat customary foods, such as fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, dinner rolls and more. Many of these facilities have already been arranging and hosting the dinners, gathering volunteer help among teenagers and youths.
“We serve fish, shrimp and chicken, mostly for the little kids,” Janna Kline (11) said. “I like [volunteering for Lent] because I get to spend time with all my favorite people and take care of others. It is special to me because I have been doing this since elementary school and have gotten closer to everyone, and it is even more special to serve the people.”
February is seen as a bridge between several holidays and festivities for many members of the community, whether celebrating based on religious beliefs or simply enjoying the food, friends and family gatherings. The month is a mark for people to come together and begin to celebrate practices that are meaningful to them in a variety of ways, helping each other while preparing for upcoming festivities.