Photo used under the Creative Commons license courtesy of DoctorWho
There are a few street parties which are truly mythical and are on everyone’s bucket list: Rio de Janeiro’s carnival is one of them, with its extravaganza of feathers and samba music. The Venice carnival is another with the allure of the masked ball. Mardi Gras is the third of these festivities, and has a particular flavor of its own. It’s been around since 1857 when the Mistick Krewe of Cormus (Roman Catholic Creole community) initiated the tradition of parading on vibrant floats and hosting a ball for guests. These days, the parades last for ten days, and dozens upon dozens of evocatively named Krewes form a continuous procession through the streets of New Orleans. Not forgetting the lavish balls they all throw afterwards.
Mardi Gras is one of those adventure trips of a particular type. It’s as unpredictable as it is raucous, but the philosophy is not a culture of liquor. Instead, the adventure lies in getting to know your fellow man and learning about what it means to be human. Building community ties is a priority here, and even if you’re from far away, come with an open mind and you will be greeted warmly by the people of New Orleans.
Mardi Gras, always a communal celebration and a great place for family vacations, evolved into an unforeseen spectacular in the 1960′s.The flamboyant Krewe of Bacchus was a leader in this development with its 1968 parade. Organized on the last Sunday before Fat Tuesday (the last day of the party), the Krewe’s parade broke with tradition and had a celebrity king at the helm of its huge number of floats. Today, Bacchus is still the biggest and eagerly awaited parade, with 31 floats and over 1000 members. Perhaps that’s not surprising given the inspiration for the Krewe had a huge appetite for his ambrosia!
Each year tens of thousands of people descend on New Orleans for what has been dubbed the ‘greatest free show on earth.’ And Mardi Gras is free in more than financial terms: it’s also free from political control as it is entirely organized by the not for profit Krewes who organize the parties and parades. Because there is no ‘official’ Mardi Gras, there’s no official theme. Each Krewe has its own theme, many of which are kept secret until their parade.
However, some Krewes let slip a few cryptic hints before the parades start, and you can use these to help plan your costume for Fat Tuesday. Whereas masking is obligatory for all float riders, it’s only legal for spectators on the actual day of Fat Tuesday. This year, themes include: ‘Louisiana Treasures’, ‘Crimes Against Nature’, ‘Listen to the Music’ and my personal favorite, ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to costume ideas, so it helps to limit your scope a little. ‘Louisiana Treasures’ is quite fun, and encourages party goers to research the state a little before going. Jelly Roll Morton, for example, was a New Orleans jazz musician, and apart from being a brilliant pianist and having a funny name, Jelly was also known for being self-promoting and arrogant. Yup, he actually claimed to have invented jazz in 1902. ‘Gone but not forgotten’ could inspire all sorts of crazy costumes, ranging from dead famous people, to wry comments on things the state of the world today (anyone fancy coming as money??).
The one consistency with regards to appearance is the prevalence of the three symbolic colors, which were chosen by the Mardi Gras King, Rex, in 1872. Each one has its own significance: green for faith, purple for justice and gold for power. Most of the throws (free gifts) sprayed out from the floats are of one or more of these colors, and many carnival goers will be wearing the colors.
In sum, the few rules for Mardi Gras are picking a costume for Fat Tuesday, wearing the glorious Mardi Gras colors and having the time of your life. Once you start going, you’ll be going year after year. Bring the kids and bring grandma for the best free show on the planet.
Lalage loves adventure trips to parties around the globe.
