Mardi Gras History & Traditions

Mardi Gras draws two million people to the City of New Orleans each year. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina interrupted but did not end the glorious pageant that is Mardi Gras. Carnival's modern roots can be traced to twelfth-century Rome. Medieval pre-Lenten celebrations had descended from pre-Christian fertility seasonal rites. Today's event in New Orleans is a raucous, playful and spirited spectacle filled with music, Creole cuisine and extravagant costume.

Definition

In New Orleans Mardi Gras is just one day; Carnival is the season. The season begins on January 6, the Christian Feast of the Epiphany. This day is said to be the day when the visiting magi brought gifts to the infant Jesus. The season continues until Fat Tuesday or Sheave Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday when the somber Christian of lent begins.

Participants

Few who live in or visit New Orleans at Mardi Gras fail to take part in the festivities. Many among the populace associate themselves with a "krewe." These formed within neighborhoods or social groups. New krewes emerge all the time and old krewes pride themselves on their costume and history. The krewes sponsor and take part in the activities, balls, parties and parades in their own areas or the city-wide parade on Mardi Gras day. They try to out-do one another with outlandish, amusing or innovative themes.

Costume

Disguise was part of Mardi Gras from the beginning. There were sporadic attempts to selectively restrict what could be worn. Spanish colonial authorities in 1781 forbade both free people of color and slaves to mask or mimic whites during the Carnival season. There were later attempts to enforce modesty but eventually restrictions were abandoned and Mardi Gras costumes reached the variety and imagination they display today. Krewes such as The Mardi Gras Indians, are especially known for their elaborate "suits"--beaded and feathered costumes that can take a year to make.

Parades and Balls

By the 1830s, young Creole men began organizing costumed Carnival processions. The Mystick Krewe of Comus may have started in 1857 expanded these to a formally structured event for the public. Today, dozens of krewes march throughout the city in the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras day. Each krewe or neighborhood hosts its own parade. During the season, krewes also host balls and parties from the extravagant and ritualized to informal block party style events.

Culmination

Mardi Gras day starts at 8:00 am with the Krewe of Zulu, followed by Rex, the King of Carnival. Behind Rex come up to 400 float truck parades of the many other krewes, families or groups of friends. The parade takes many hours and those who line the parade route reach for the trinkets (beads and candy doubloons, and cups) thrown by the krewes on the floats. The day ends with the Mystic Krewe of Comus and the meeting of the kings of Rex and Comus.

References

• Louisiana State Museum: Mardi Gras: It's Carnival Times in New Orleans
• The Institute of New Orleans History at Gwynned-Mercy College: Mardi Gras