Mardi Gras is a holiday with roots in the Christian calendar. The story begins with Christmas. Twelve days after Christmas is the Epiphany (January 6), when the Magi or Wise Men from the East were said to follow a bright star to Bethlehem, bringing the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ child.
Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Carnival season (aka Carnaval in French and Portuguese). Carnival lasts until Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time for fasting, repentance, and almsgiving. The period that lasts for 40 days, until the Saturday one week before Easter Sunday.
Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It is one last day of overindulgence before the long stretch of Lenten denial.
Commonly called Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”), the holiday is also known as Pancake Day (primarily in the British Isles) and elsewhere as Shrove Tuesday. “Shrove” is past tense of the verb “shrive”, which means to free from guilt or confess one’s sins.
Malasada Day = Mardi Gras is Tuesday February 13, 2024.
The colors of Mardi Gras are purple (justice), green (faith), and gold (power). Everything from masks to beads and cakes will bear these colors. – Depositphotos.com
Mardi Gras Traditions
Not all Christian churches observe Lent. The custom is observed by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox churches, and some protestant denominations, including Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Anglican. It is not observed by Baptists, Evangelicals, and Latter Day Saints. However, there are many protestant denominations worldwide and liturgical practices vary from one to another, and within denominations from one country or culture to another.
Traditional foods for Carnival season and Mardi Gras include cakes, doughnuts, and pancakes, because they contain eggs and butter—rich foods and ingredients that are forbidden during the austerity of Lent.
The colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold, representing (respectively) justice, faith, and power. Everything from cakes to masks and beads will bear these colors.
New Orleans may be the country’s most celebrated location for Fat Tuesday even though Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the U.S. in Mobile, Alabama. In any case NOLA Mardi Gras traditions today include King Cakes, parades, masks, and beads.
- “King” cakes represent the gifts brought by the Magi. Typically, this is a glazed or frosted circular cake iced or sugared with Mardi Gras colors (purple, green, gold). A bean, coin, nut, or tiny baby figurine may be hidden in the cake–some say to represent the Baby Jesus. It brings luck to whoever finds it in their slice.
- Parades and elaborate costumed and masked balls are another feature during Carnaval, celebrated in places such as France, Italy, Brazil, and Canada.
- Masks are worn by parade participants and at Mardi Gras balls, historically to hide their identity and/or escape social constraints, allowing them to mingle freely with whomever they chose.
- Beads are thrown from parade floats. Other trinkets are also used, including coins (real, plastic, or candy), stuffed animals, and unique hand-decorated items.
Assorted malasada from Liliha Bakery 2022 photo by Carole Cancler
Malasada Day = Mardi Gras
In Hawaiʻi, we do things a bit differently. Malasadas have been around since the 1800s when Portuguese plantation workers brought their sweet bread to Hawaiʻi. As the story goes, Leonard and Margaret Rego, owners of Leonard’s Bakery (“Home of Malasada’s and Pao Doce”) started “Malasada Day” back in the 1950s.
One Shrove Tuesday, Leonard’s mother suggested making malasadas, which was a Portuguese tradition. The rest is history. Today, Mardi Gras is Leonard’s busiest day of the year.
What is a malasada?
For the uninitiated: malasadas are Portuguese-style donuts without holes. They can be square or round. Classic malasadas are simply rolled in sugar.
But malasadas are often coated with other flavors, such as cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, and li hing mui (salted plum powder). Filled malasadas can also be found, including creamy and fruit fillings: haupia (coconut), dobash (chocolate), and lilikoi (passionfruit)—my three favorites. But there are many others.
Find malasadas at bakeries at eateries across the Hawaiian Islands, some specializing in the sweet treat. They are also a popular fundraiser.
Where to get malasadas across Hawaii
Listed below are some popular places to get malasadas (Portuguese-style donuts) on Malasada Day or any other day of the year. This is by no means a complete list. Many bakeries, eateries, and food trucks also offer malasadas.
(Listed by island, then alphabetically by city or location.)
Big Isle. TEX Drive In Hawaii (texdrivein-hawaii.com) (Honokaʻa)
Big Isle. Punalu‘u Bake Shop (bakeshophawaii.com) (Naalehu)
Kauaʻi. Kauai Bakery and Coffee (mykauaibakery.com) (Lihue)
Maui. Sugar Beach Bake Shop (sugarbeachbakeshop.com) (Kihei, Wailuku)
Maui. donutdynamite | Facebook (Wailuku)
Oʻahu. Anges Portuguese Bake Shop | Facebook (Kailua). Food truck bakes malasadas fresh daily.
Oʻahu. Kamehameha Bakery | Facebook (Kalihi). Family-owned bakery best known for poi donuts, but also makes malasadas, Danish, and other pastries.
Oʻahu. Liliha Bakery (lilihabakery.com) (Honolulu/5 locations). Their haupia malasada is my all-time favorite.
Oʻahu. Pipeline Bakeshop (pipelinebakeshop.com) (Kaimuki)
Oʻahu. Leonard’s Bakery (leonardshawaii.com) (Moiliʻili/Kaimukī store plus 4 malasadamobiles in Waipahu, Aiea, Koko Marina, Kāneʻohe)
Here are a couple of other Mardi Gras traditions that make sense in Hawaiʻi:
Roast pig. In New Orleans, some groups begin carnival by roasting a pig. Sam Choy’s oven-roasted kalua pig recipe is an easy, delicious, and affordable alternative to firing up an imu.
Coconuts. Handing out Coconuts during Mardi Gras parades was a tradition in past decades in New Orleans. Today, long plastic beaded necklaces in traditional colors of purple, green and gold have replaced most other trinkets. In Hawaiʻi, coconuts painted in Mardi Gras colors might be used as seasonal décor around your home. Or, leave them secretly on your neighbors’ doorsteps!
You might also like:
- 37 onolicious local and Hawaiian foods (hawaiionthecheap.com)
- Hawaiian Islands Farmers Markets (hawaiionthecheap.com)
Calendar of events
Listed below are upcoming events on our Calendar of free and cheap things to do every day (hawaiionthecheap.com)
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