Societe Honoraire de Francais Hosts Event at the Watauga County Library for Mardi Gras

A poster advertising the event.

Lou Neal, Editor of The Spark

On Saturday, March 1, Societe Honoraire de Francais of Watauga High School threw their annual Mardi Gras celebration at the Watauga County Public Library. 

Mardi Gras, also known as “Fat Tuesday,” is a traditional holiday held to celebrate indulgence and togetherness. King cake, masks and costumes, and fun colors are integral to Mardi Gras celebrations around the world. Here, SHF created an inclusive celebration for all ages in our very own library.

“Mardi Gras is a festival known for lively music and big parades with floats. Mardi Gras marks the end of Carnaval and the last day before the season of Lent,” said Madelyn Trexler, SHF member. “People celebrate and feast on Mardi Gras before entering Lent, which is a period of fasting and reflection.”

With more than 15 kids attending and a dozen more family members, SHF worked hard to create a both fun and informative party for everyone. One activity was a book reading, in which attendees read Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras Prize by Britanny Mazique.

“In 'Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras Prize,' Delphine is determined to win the prize for the best float in the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade,” said Trexler.

With the help of SHF officers and members, the party went smoothly. 

“A lot of people showed up for it,” said Keira Deal, SHF officer. “We let the kids make their masks and then read a book to them and handed out king cake.”

Mardi Gras masks are ornamental masks meant to be colorful and/or mimic nature and characters. At the Mardi Gras party, attendees created their own masks and learned about the culture behind it. 

“The masks that people made were vibrant, bold, and creative. They were decorated with feathers, sequins, and cut-outs,” said Trexler.

With so many kids attending, this year’s Mardi Gras was a huge hit for SHF. 

“During the storytime, the kids enjoyed king cake and discovered who had the plastic baby,” said Trexler. “All families in attendance seemed to enjoy the story of the book!”

Honoring traditions and creating new ones, SHF included the tradition of the baby inside the king cake. 

“Inside the cake is a small plastic baby. Whoever finds the hidden baby is said to have good luck. This person is also responsible for bringing the next king cake,” said Trexler.

Overall, the 2025 Societe Honoraire de Francais Mardi Gras party was a success, and is a tradition that will be continued for many years to come.