Jill Thomas is a rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who thinks its funny how life leads you right where you need to be, however the roundabout path.
This weekend, my rambles included screaming my head off in pursuit of cheap plastic trinkets I was suddenly and inexplicably absolutely obsessed with owning. I was parading, which is one of my favorite ways to ramble.
Where I live, parading is a verb like, "Are you going parading this weekend?"
Parading is not what Canadians do while shivering behind a metal barrier, mitted hands stuffed into the pockets of oversized jackets, hoping Santa will hurry up so they can decamp to someplace warmer.
Parading also cannot be accomplished on a sofa while the Thanksgiving turkey cooks. Parading is an interactive community celebration that must be experienced in person. I love parading with excitement that inhibits my night before sleeping and bolsters my natural tendency to get carried away.
The season of parading ends today because today is Fat Tuesday or Mardis Gras.
Most of you are likely acquainted with Mardis Gras and her infamous parades, but here are a few things you might not know if you aren't from around here.
Mardi Gras celebrations occur throughout northeast Florida, southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The first Mardi Gras parade occurred in Mobile, Alabama, about an hour from my home in Pensacola, Florida.
Mardi Gras is not a day; it is a season. It starts on the Twelfth Night after Christmas and ends on Ash Wednesday. There are non-stop parades, raucous parties, exclusive formal balls, and other events. If you live here, it's exhausting!
Social clubs, called Krewes, organize Mardi Gras celebrations. There are almost 100 official Krewes in New Orleans and dozens where I live in Pensacola. The oldest Krewe in New Orleans, still active today, is the Mistick Krewe of Comus was founded on January 4th, 1857.
There are Krewes for every type of person. Some are prestigious, invite-only, and cost a small fortune to join. Some are multi-generational secret societies. Others raise money and awareness for causes, while others are made up of regulars at a local bar or Star Wars fans.
Every Krewe has a name and a theme. In Pensacola, the Krewe of Ya Ya wears pink costumes and raises money for breast cancer, while the Krewe of Lafitte consists of local power brokers. Many Krewes have centuries of history shrouded in mystery.
Most Krewes host several events and "roll" in multiple parades. People will ask questions like, "When is Muses Rolling." Krewe members stand on floats and throw trinkets like beads and moon pies at the crowds. So if you are on a float, you are riding, and the trinkets are called throws. Catching a “good throw” is highly competitive and brag-worthy.
In New Orleans, the parade schedule is epic, with several weekly parades throughout the season. In Pensacola, we have multiple parades the weekend before Mardi Gras.
Every year I learn more about Mardi Gras traditions like the Flambeaux, who in the 18th century were enslaved people, and free men of color, mostly Creole, who carried flames to light the parades before there was electricity. This tradition continues in a more modern form today.
The Krewe of Rex started the tradition of choosing a Mardi Gras King and Queen in 1872. Now, most towns in this region do the same - awarding this honor to its most notable citizens.
In New Orleans, on Fat Tuesday, the Queen awaits her King on a platform surrounded by the city's most elite citizens, all wearing 18th-century formal wear, complete with top hats and long white gloves. The King arrives to greet his Queen on a designated float wearing a royal costume that would be the envy of the French Sun King.
After the American Civil War, Jim Crow laws excluded black people from participating in the celebrations, so many concealed themselves with masks. In New Orleans today, it is required by law that all float riders are masked. Exceptions are only made for notable figures, celebrities, and carnival royalty.
African-American prostitutes from the infamous Storyville neighborhood were nicknamed baby dolls. During Mardi Gras, the prostitutes dressed as adult-sized baby dolls with satin bloomers and bonnets and joined the parades hoping to drum up more work. Baby Dolls still parade today but now just for fun.
In terms of fascinating traditions, I have barely scratched the surface. Mardi Gras is pure joy, but there are many downsides as the celebrations have too slowly adapted to modern values.
The New Orleans Krewes were not legally mandated to desegregate until 1992. When this happened, a few of the oldest Krewes stopped parading in protest.
The Krewe of Zulu, the most renowned African American Krewe, was only allowed to roll in black neighborhoods. Today the Zulu Krewe rolls before Rex in the second most prominent spot in the parade schedule, throwing coveted hand-painted coconuts. Nonetheless, the Krewes throughout the region remain largely segregated. Some floats in smaller towns (especially Mobile) are blatantly racist.
Also, the garbage created by the cheap plastic "throws" is not good. I was happy to hear how some Krewes are working on becoming more sustainable and was glad to see some local media asking New Orleans to do better in this regard.
Whatever you think of Mardi Gras, if you haven’t been there, you likely don’t understand the essence of these celebrations. I’ve now experienced almost a doze Mardi Gras celebrations and have never once seen boobs.
It is one of the best times of year to wander the streets of NOLA and soak up everything magical about my favorite city.
Are there Carnival traditions in your part of the world? We would love to hear about them in the comments!
READ MORE > JT's Tales From The Trail, Rambler Cafe Blog.
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