Beads and beignets were in season on February 13, as the French Club celebrated Mardi Gras. Students embraced French culture and enjoyed celebrating a significant day in French history along with their peers. This holiday was created in 1699, when modern-day New Orleans was discovered by a group of French explorers. They held a carnival.  In the spirit of Mardi Gras, PMHS was decorated in green, purple and gold to commemorate the special day and spread joy as the French Club coordinated various activities for the day.

Prior to Mardi Gras, the French Club sold students purple t-shirts with the fleur-de-lis, a French symbol, for ten dollars and encouraged them to wear the festive shirts for the celebration. The fleur-de-lis is similar to a lily in shape and represents French royalty. On the back of each shirt “Laissez les bons temps rouler” was printed. This translates to “Let the good times roll” in English, embracing the celebratory nature of Mardi Gras. Additionally, the French club distributed green, yellow, and purple beads to anyone who could speak to them in French. These colors represent the traits that are associated with Mardi Gras: justice, faith and power.

“Our goal was to have as many people celebrating as possible,” Mrs. Livaditis, advisor of the French Club, said. “Throughout the day, everyone wore t-shirts and received beads from upperclassmen. It was a fun day for the entire school.”

Members and representatives of the French Club enjoyed being involved in the Mardi Gras festivities. As a first-year member of the club, sophomore Silda Neza was excited to do something special for the holiday.

“Mardi Gras is something that we always look forward to in French class. Having the whole school celebrate the holiday was a great experience!” Neza said.