After celebrating the city’s three hundredth birthday last year, a new party in the Crescent City starts today. The carnival season begins on Epiphany. Mardi Gras is coming soon, although this year the season goes all the way into March. Click here for more information about all things Mardi Gras.
Almost seventy parades with 75 units roll through the city. Most are in the days preceding Fat Tuesday. By law, all float riders have to wear masks. Masks were worn so the wearers could freely mingle with whoever they chose, even if they were in a different social class. In going with tradition, the king or queen is not revealed by many krewes.
Since 1872, the official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. This was set by Rex, the King of the Carnival. Purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power.
Carnival krewes are set up as non-profit entities. They do fundraising and collect dues from their members. Many are involved in charitable organizations. The krewes pick a theme for their parade each year. Theme inspirations come from history, stories, legends, geography, famous people, entertainment, mythology, and literature. Sometimes the theme reflects satire or political comedy. Krewes have been tossing stuff off their floats since 1871.
Get caught up on your terminology if you plan on heading to New Orleans in the next few weeks. Boeuf Gras, den, doubloons, flambeaux, go-cup, Lundi Gras, neutral ground, and throws all need to be on your mind.
Hope you enjoy your Carnival season this year!
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series, book twenty, Brother Cadfael’s Penance.
Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is available on Amazon, as an eBook, and in physical formats. It is also available on the Barnes and Noble website.