Mardi Gras is the time to really get down and party. This year it falls on Tuesday, February 24th. So you have plenty of time to put together an event that will have everyone talking! The theme for our party is a cajun tradition called "fais do do." Think of it as a cajun hoedown that includes two of our favorite things, a lot of eating and a lot of dancing.

The name comes the French phrase that roughly translates as "go to beddy-bye." During this hoedown, young cajun mothers would take their bawling infants into the cry room and gently whisper "fais do do", trying to coax their baby to sleep. The mother would want her baby to go to sleep as fast as possible, so her husband wouldn't have time to dance with somebody else.

Prior to the big dance, the partiers would go from farmhouse to farmhouse gathering the ingredients to make a big pot of gumbo. Let's adapt the classic fais do do tradition to one of our own. We have two options below.
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This is a take off on the original fais do do.

1. Send out invitations to all of your friends inviting them to a to mardi gras Fais Do Do.

2. Each guest is required to bring one of the ingredients for a big pot of gumbo. Make sure you let each guest know exactly what they are supposed to bring and how muc. Try and dole out the ingredients equitably.

3. You provide the pot and the drinks. When each guest arrives have them throw their ingredient into the gumbo. (our chicken and sausage gumbo recipe is here - you might need to double the amounts).

4. Let everyone help themselves to the gumbo.

This is more of a "stock your bar" fais do do.

1. Send out invitations to all of your friends inviting them to a to mardi gras Fais Do Do.

2. This time each guest is required to bring the fixin's for a Mardi Gras Cocktail. Make sure they know that this includes garnishes and any fancy umbrellas. (our Mardi Gras Cocktail recipes are provided here).

3. Have a station ready to act as a bar. Proved little cards with the recipes for the cocktails and let each guest act as their own bartender. (click here to find out what you need for a well stocked bar)

4. In this option, the gumbo is all yours!