Last Friday, January 5 th official marked the beginning of Mardi Gras season. Not only in New Orleans, but worldwide; it was 12 th Night or The Feast of The Epiphany and the traditional start of Mardi Gras festivities and one that has a history in New Orleans linked to creole society.
In early colonial Louisiana, they used to celebrate 12 th night with Bals du Roi, or the King’s Ball. They were parties thrown at plantations and homes for family and friends at the behest of the party host aka “The Lord of Misrule,” a continuation of the mideval roots of Mardi Gras and perhaps a playful cheap shot aimed at rulers in general. At these parties, a king cake was featured and the king cake of course contained the prize bean, which when found, revealed the host of the next year’s ball.
And that’s what we have for today’s MGM; a song from New Orleans legend Big Al Carson. Of course it’s “King Cake”
Big Al Carson "King Cake"
