On Friday, March 18th, the Spanish 2 class celebrated a late Mardi Gras. The fiesta, or party, had been rescheduled due to a school evacuation, which caused the original party’s class period to be shortened to about twenty-five minutes.
Each semester, the foreign language classes have two parties that always include food, fun, and some sort of project. This time, the class learned about the traditions and history of Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, and Lent. Mrs. Koch, the foreign language teacher, explained why it’s important for the students to learn the history behind the holidays, “More specifically, why I think it is important to talk about Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, and Lent... it's not so much the importance of those specific topics, but moreover, the idea that every culture is connected by similar holidays because of the ancestry that links all cultures together.”
Students are expected to bring their favorite Hispanic food--anything ranging from cinnamon tortilla cups, to Mexican Rice, tacos, and wraps. Alison Long, who brought the tortilla cups, commented, “The food is always so good! Especially the wraps Erin (Scheer) brought! Unfortunately, I brought them the Wednesday, (when the fire drill occurred) and couldn’t bring them again Friday, but they did get eaten Wednesday”
Luna Tomasi, an Italian exchange student, briefly explained her cultural celebrations in Italy, “We do a lot of similar things as Latin America. Children dress in costumes, and there are big parties in the streets of big cities.”
To finish the class fiesta, Hispanic music was played and masks were made. Some involved a cutout of paper, feathers, and colorful decorations across the entire face.
When one thinks of Mardi Gras, he or she more than likely thinks about the grand New Orleans celebration. It’s common to spot masks in the crowd of a Mardi Gras, which originated all the way back to the 14th century at masquerade balls. This was especially true in the Venice Carnival, which dates back to the 14th century.
When the bell finally rang, students left Spanish 2 with a history of Mardi Gras and food in their bellies.
-by Paige Adams
Students are expected to bring their favorite Hispanic food--anything ranging from cinnamon tortilla cups, to Mexican Rice, tacos, and wraps. Alison Long, who brought the tortilla cups, commented, “The food is always so good! Especially the wraps Erin (Scheer) brought! Unfortunately, I brought them the Wednesday, (when the fire drill occurred) and couldn’t bring them again Friday, but they did get eaten Wednesday”
Luna Tomasi, an Italian exchange student, briefly explained her cultural celebrations in Italy, “We do a lot of similar things as Latin America. Children dress in costumes, and there are big parties in the streets of big cities.”
To finish the class fiesta, Hispanic music was played and masks were made. Some involved a cutout of paper, feathers, and colorful decorations across the entire face.
When one thinks of Mardi Gras, he or she more than likely thinks about the grand New Orleans celebration. It’s common to spot masks in the crowd of a Mardi Gras, which originated all the way back to the 14th century at masquerade balls. This was especially true in the Venice Carnival, which dates back to the 14th century.
When the bell finally rang, students left Spanish 2 with a history of Mardi Gras and food in their bellies.
-by Paige Adams
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