Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras celebrated at Butler Catholic
Students at Butler Catholic School got a taste of New Orleans on Tuesday, Feb. 21 morning.
Traci Ritson, kindergarten teacher at the school, had her students craft masks and hats so they could take part in the fun tradition of Mardi Gras while also observing Fat Tuesday in preparation for Lent, which begins Wednesday.
“We all made masks, and they got to have gems and feathers to put on,” Ritson said. “We watched a video explaining Mardi Gras for kids.”
Ritson said celebrating Fat Tuesday is a Catholic tradition, and the celebration of Mardi Gras has become a tradition for her kindergarten classes. Ritson helped the students make purple-and-yellow “jester” hats featuring bells and beads, and they also made masquerade masks with similar colorful decorations.
The crafting part of the day was enjoyed by the students.
“My favorite part was the hat, because I liked putting the stripes and triangles together,” said kindergartner Roman Krouse.
The hats jingled as students walked around the classroom.
“I liked putting the jingle bells on,” said student Kendyl Shipos.
Ritson said she also tries to instill the meaning of Lent into the students in the week leading up to it. She said students will be thinking about things they enjoy that they could give up as a self-sacrifice, but also about how they can perform small acts of kindness during the Lenten season.
“It’s not only about giving something up, but doing something extra,” Ritson said. “So we let them know that they can do something extra during Lent.”
