“Oh Because It’s Carnival Time…!”

(Lyrics from the Mardi Gras classic, "Carnival Time," recorded by Al Johnson in 1960.)

Well, it’s official—the Twelfth Night festival, aka. the Feast of the Epiphany, ushered in the 2015 Mardi Gras season on Tuesday, January 6th.

Float from Krewe of Bacchus 2013
Photo by CD Pevny

Actually, Twelfth Night can fall on January 5th or 6th, depending on whether you use Christmas Day--the 25th of December--as the First Day of Christmas (as in, My True Love Gave to Me…) or the day after (the 26th of December).

Mardi Gras Indian 2013

Photo by CD Pevny

In a nutshell, Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. Ash Wednesday is 46 days before Easter. And, of course, Mardi Gras is always on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. (http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/mgdates.html)

Member of the El Lucha Krewe 2013
Photo by CD Pevny

The first krewe to parade this season was Jeanne d’Arc, which rolled on Twelfth Night, January 6th. Not coincidentally, this is same day that Joan of Arc’s birthday is celebrated. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) is known as the Maid of Orléans. Her life was short—she was burned at the stake when she was 19 years old—but productive and inspiring. Saint Joan was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1920.

Joan of Arc Statue in NOLA

Jeanne d'Arc Coat of Arms

Joan of Arc, c. 1485

So when Heidi Post of Ex Post Facto Jewelry issued a jewelry design challenge last week—i.e., every day for 5 days I have to post a photo of something I’ve designed on Facebook and then tag someone else to take up the challenge—I decided that my creations would focus on Mardi Gras (my favorite holiday). [And I'm only 9 days late with my first post; that's not so bad for me.]

Clovis oyster designed
by yours truly.
(Still needs glitter)

Mustaches made by the Bearded Oysters
for this year's 610 Stompers Ball

2014 Bearded Oyster

  

On the First Day…

The Joan of Arc – Twelfth Night – French Louisiana connection was too much to resist: Jeanne d’Arc, Fleur de Lis and other medieval-style medallions handmade by me from bronze metal clay. They still need bails, of course. These photos are posted on my Mojeau Jewelry page on Facebook.

Jeanne d'Arc medallion

Jeanne d'Arc and Fleur de Lis medallions

Fleur de Lis Coat of Arms

Heidi sent me this challenge knowing that I don’t know anyone else that makes jewelry except for her, so who am I going to pass the challenge to, lol? Not to mention, this is my first blog post in four years!!! It's not called the Infrequent Beader for nothing, right?

Someone help a girl out? Please volunteer to be “it.” And make sure you visit Heidi’s Facebook page for Ex Post Facto and like it. 

"The first day felt like a week.” –Navin R. Johnson (Steve Martin in 1979’s The Jerk)