FAT TUESDAY!

Happy Fat Tuesday everybody! Today was not a crappy as yesterday but close. We did have a nice treat at work today. It was a King cake. I had the first piece of cake but no baby. One of my co workers "L" cut in and struck twins. Our cake was decorated with beads. For those of you that aren't familiar with the tradition here it is.

On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.

The New Orleans tradition, begun in the 1870s, borrows heavily from European customs. As part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake an oval cake in honor of the three kings - the King Cake. The shape of a King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into each cake.

In New Orleans, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. In offices, classrooms, and homes throughout the city, King Cakes are sliced and enjoyed by all. Like the biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered. While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.

We also had New Orleans burgers for lunch in the cafeteria. It is a spicy burger almost like a meatloaf with onions and spices. It was good but could have been better with a little more spice. This evening when I got home my lovely girlfriend brought home Gumbo prepared by the culinary arts at here work. It was very good and the first time I have ever had gumbo. Although today was Fat Tuesday tomorrow is Hump Wednesday. Its a down hill slide from there. Come on weekend.