Fat Tuesday

In the latest episode of Alabama Out Loud, host Aydan Conchin spotlights communities across Alabama to turn up the volume on the traditions that bring people together. From the final celebrations of Mardi Gras to Lunar New Year gatherings, Ramadan and the start of Lent, she explores how different cultures and faiths mark the season.

Mardi Gras is in full swing along the Gulf coast. One favorite carnival tradition is called a King Cake. It’s a large pastry shaped like a crown with cinnamon, chocolate, or cream cheese filling inside. It’s usually covered in gold, green, and purple sprinkles. There’s also a Fat Tuesday tradition that whoever finds the small, plastic baby hidden in a slice of king cake is granted good luck. They also have to bring a King Cake to the next gathering. Here’s the story of one Dauphin Island baker and how her Mardi Gras cakes are a family tradition…

Mardi Gras season back to Alabama, and a Mobile nonprofit is gearing up for the trash that comes with the celebrations. The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) has a main goal to “improve and protect Alabama's coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation.”

The season of floats and parades is underway, as Mardi Gras in Mobile began on February 15 and runs through March 5. The Port City claims host to the…

Plastic beads and moon pies will be flying all day on the Alabama coast. Parades began in the morning and are scheduled to go into the night in Mobile and…