Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School Mardi Gras!

Friday 12th February - Click below...

Dress Up Day in school and at home

Friday 12^th February - Wear green, purple or yellow(gold) Mardi Gras colours

For all pupils, families, parishioners, staff, governors and local community members - Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School Family!

We are celebrating before we go into training during Lent on Ash Wednesday.

We hope to raise funds for Heartlands Hospital Charity to show our appreciation for critical workers in the local community. However, there is no charge for participating in OLCP Mardi Gras.

Donations will go directly to the Hospital and can be made by clicking here.   Or you could make a donation through your ParentPay account.  Thank you. 

Why celebrate?

During lent, we try to follow in the footsteps of Jesus even more closely. We remember Jesus went in to the desert for 40 days. During the 40 days, Jesus was training to keep strong faith in his father, to listen to his father and to be just like his father in heaven.

In lent we ask Jesus to help us to go into training. Like world class athletes, we have to train to get better at something. Lent is a time for training so we can become even better followers of Jesus.

To train well, we need to train our hearts, our minds and our bodies.

Before we begin training on Ash Wednesday, we are going to have a great celebration and feast on some of the things we may wish to fast from or give up for lent. We are going to celebrate Mardi Gras!

What is Mardi Gras all about?

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," also called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. It is the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Christian Lent season leading up to Easter. During Lent, many Christians fast, and the name Fat Tuesday refers to the last day of eating richer foods before the leaner days of Lent begin.

Where is it celebrated?

Some Mardi Gras celebrations around the world

• Goa, India. Thank the Portuguese for bringing a holiday based on Catholic tradition to this coastal Indian resort town. ...
• Venice, Italy.
• Binche, Belgium. ...
• Mobile, Alabama ...
• Quebec City, Canada. ...
• Nice, France. ...
• New Orleans. ...

Tasks

Choose a destination and find out about their celebration. Complete one of the following tasks (or one of your own) to share with your class on Friday 12th February!

1. Use a shoe box or craft to create a float, headdress or beaded necklace for Our Lady’s School Mardi Gras, or use your artistic skills to draw or design a costume, jewellery beads or float
2. Write a poem about the celebration of Mardi Gras using inspiration from one of the countries above
3. Make a healthy meal to show how you can help train your body during Lent, or find out how to make King Cakes to celebrate on Friday 12^th Feb
4. Create a dance routine to celebrate Mardi Gras and keep fit during Lent
5. Design a world class Mardi Gras athlete training program for one day to show the importance of keeping our bodies healthy
6. Design a poster to show lots of activities you can do to train your mind to be calm and positive during Lent
7. Take a photograph of a calming or well-being activity you have completed to help others see how they can train their minds
8. Build a small altar in your home with prayers, rosary beads, a cross and more to show how you will train your heart during lent
9. Help to train your heart by writing a song to help others pray and follow Jesus
10. Create a musical instrument to play during and after Mardi Gras to help lift our hearts to Jesus

Pupils, please send your photos, videos or other work to your class teacher. Community members please send them to mardigras@ourladys.bham.sch.uk by Monday 15^th February. We will share them on our school website. Each pupil who takes part will receive a special Mardi Gras MarvellousMe award. There will be a prize for the most creative entry from EYFS, KS1 and KS2!

All our staff will be taking part in Our Lady’s Mardi Gras celebration on Friday 12^th February. They will be wearing green, purple or yellow(gold) and completing their own activity to show how they will be training their heart, mind or body during Lent. Look out on our website www.ourladys.bham.sch.uk and Twitter (@OurLadysCP) on 12^th February!

Help is at hand! 

Here are some links to find out more about Mardi Gras and help you prepare:

EYFS & KS1 

https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Mardi-Gras/353427 

https://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/mardigras/color/index.html 
https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/mardi-gras 

KS2 

https://www.ducksters.com/holidays/mardi_gras.php 
Google search: ‘Oddizzi Mardi Gras’ and select:  
Mardi Gras in Brazil for primary kids – Oddizzi 
https://study.com/academy/lesson/mardi-gras-lesson-for-kids-history-facts.html (video) 
https://youtu.be/nTYcgnqAzqE (video upper KS2)