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The History of MARDI GRAS ON
THE GULF COAST
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" We all get a little wild
at the Mardi Gras"
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Mardi Gras
started a long, long time ago, and at different times in
different places, it's origins are based in religion and
tradition. |
The History of Mardi Gras-
It didn’t
begin in New Orleans, It didn’t even begin in the United States,
what you find out may very well surprise you.
It’s Official in the 16th Century-
Mardi Gras become an official Holiday to Christians in 1582 when
Pope Gregory XIII sanctioned it and placed it on the 12 month
Gregorian Calendar we use today. He placed He placed it on Fat
Tuesday, the Day before Ash Wednesday which begins lent a time
to fast and pray.
Prior to the Popes making it official there were still
celebrations, mainly by the nobles and by invitation only which
began with the Feast of Epiphany on January 6, which is also
known as the 12th night ( as in the 12 days of
Christmas) marking the end of the Christmas Holiday Season.
From 1582 forward Mardi Gras has remained between Epiphany and
Fat Tuesday, even if some of the religious foundation may have
been built upon by various cultures and religions.
Welcome to
America ?
French explorer Iberville is credited with bringing Mardi Gras
to the Americas in 1699, when he sailed in the Gulf of Mexico
and launched an expedition he landed at a point approximately 60
miles south of where New Orleans is today and named this site
Point du Mardi Gras.
The tradition of festivities celebrated in France since the
middle ages now were introduced to the Americas. They were
mainly unorganized and unruly. Through out the 1700’s Mardi Gras
celebrations and masked events were tradition, until Louisiana
fell under Spanish Rule and the custom was banned. Laws
banning masked events stayed in place even in the early 1800’s
when the United States governed , but in 1823 the government was
swayed by the strong Creole population to legalize masked balls
and then in 1827 masked festivals and Mardi Gras sprang back to
life in the streets. The Parades officially begin in 1838. Over
the next 2 decades it became so unruly, and undesirable to many
that Mardi Gras almost became outlawed again, a dangerous time
for all sorts of crimes, drunkenness and violence. Churches and
concerned citizens alike began calling for an end to Mardi Gras.
Cow bells
and rakes? Saving Mardi Gras and forming Krewes-
In
another Gulf State, Alabama, it’s reported that around 1830,
some 8 years before New Orleans Mardi Gras parades were
legalized, the first Krewe, was formed. It’s said that a group
of young men including a Michael Kraft, had possibly over
celebrated during a New Years Eve gathering. While walking thru
the streets they passed a store with rakes and cow bells on
display. They gathered up the items and marched to the Mayors
house calling for a Mardi Gras celebration. The Mayor suggested
the organize themselves and the event and open it to the
community. The group sobered up, grasp the suggestion, named
themselves “ Rakin Cowbellion de Society”, paraded the following
New Year's Eve in 1831. The event was so successful that the
procession became an annual event.
COMOS is born to save New Olreans-
By 1856 New Orleans and it’s people had enough. City leaders
were on the verge of calling an end to the madness. 6 former
“Cowbellions” from Alabama now resided in the “Big Easy” came
together and made a plan. The formed the idea of a Private
Club, a themed festival including decorated floats, costumed
riders and torch carriers to light the way. City leaders agreed
that this was an orderly alternative to the rampant depravity
that Carnival had become. They formed their private club, and
chose the name “COMOS” the Greek god of Revelry and coined the
term “krewe” for the club. In 1857 the “ Krewe of Comos “
hosted the first organized Mardi Gras in New Orleans. City
Officials site Comos as saving New Orleans Marid Gras.
New Krewes join in-
13
years later, around 1870, after the Civil War a second Krewe
made it’s debut. They named themselves the Twelfth Night
Revelers and chose Jan 6, ( the 12th night) to
present their parade and ball. They are responsible for the
introduction of a tradition still recognized today. A Mardi Gras
Queen, via the selection of the Queen by presenting ladies with
a King Cake
with a small golden bean inside. The lucky lady finding the
bean becomes the Queen.
(
click here for King Cake history and ordering info)The Revelers no longer host a parade. The Revelers ball and their
traditional streetcar , “ Phunny Phorty Phellows” mark the
official start of the season for Mardi Gras in New Orleans to
this day.
In 1872- A Royal visit brings about the birth of New Krewes and
new traditions. Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia plans to
visit the city to see a performance by Miss Lydia Thompson. It
is rumored that
the Duke had
received a “private performance” by Miss Thompson in New York
where she sang a ballad “If Ever I Ccease to Love” . Prominat
City leaders and citizens decided to create a new Krewe,
complete with a Royal Court, including a King and Queen. They
named their group, “School of Design” and their Kings name would
be REX, ( Latin for King). Rex declared the official colors of
Mardi Gras to be Purple,
standing for justice,
GOLD standing for power and
GREEN representing faith. An official viewing stand was
created for the Duke, and as he watched REX was perched high
atop a riverboat, then leading a group of a reported 10,000
masked revilers more than a mile long past the Duke. Several
bands were in this group and they all played the song, “If Ever
I Cease to Love” . Even over 135 years later Rex is still the
King of Carnival in New Orleans, The song is still the official
song and the colors remain fast in tradition today.
The Nights of
MOMOS, was founded in 1873, taking it’s name from one of ESOPs
fables, and making it’s debut on New Years Eve.
The Krewe
of PROTEUS, was founded in 1882, with an Egyptian themed ball
and parade.
1890 the
first Marching Krewe, “The Jefferson City Buzzards” was formed
and began participating.
In
1894, The
Original Illinois Club was the first black Mardi Gras
Association.
1896, the
first all female Krewe was born, Les
Mysterieuses.
In 1909, Zulu was born, it is the oldest parading
African-American krewe. The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club,
which first took to the streets in 1909. As a parody of REX,
King Zulu rode in on an Oyster Lugar instead of a steam boat.
The group dressed its king in a sack and a crown fashioned from
a lard can. A banana stalk was his scepter. ZULU fast became a
crowd favorite and remains so today. They introduced the gilded
coconuts (painted gold and decorated with glitter) are one of
the season's most prized throws but outlawed now in many parades
due to public safety risks. ( Getting hit in the head with a
coconut from a float can lead to an abrupt halt in your Mardi
Gras plan).
Moving into
the 1900’s a boom in Mardi Gras-
Biloxi
Mississippi was the first City in Mississippi to host an
official Mardi Gras parade in 1908 with 17 floats, 150 torch
carriers their Monarchs were King d’Iberville and Queen Ixolib, (
Biloxi spelled backwards) In 1916 a group organized in Biloxi
Mississippi, named themselves the Biloxi Literary and Carnival
Association, which became the Gulf Coast Carnival Association
chartered in 1946 and still participating and hosting parades
today. In 1929 other coast cities joined in the tradition and
started forming their own Krewes and hosting parades and balls.
With the advent of Automobiles and popularity in motorized
vehicles the parades became larger, although still physically
taxing, the truck pulled floats made the parades more appealing
to the masses in all coastal states.
ROYAL RECOGNITION-
In 1950 the Duke and Duchess of Winchester visited New Orleans
during Mardi Gras. The attended the COMOS ball and actually
bowed to the Krewe Royalty, giving our Mardi Gras royalty
recognition.
In the 1960s the Krewe of Bacchus was born, with celebrity
royalty, gigantic floats and national recognition in media.
When has Mardi Gras been cancelled
?-
It does NOT get cancelled for rain or weather, absolutely not.
Entire cities from New Orleans to Mobile Alabama, shut down
government offices and banks and schools. Roads and blocked from
travel except by emergency vehicles, and people even camp out as
early as 2 days to secure a "good spot".
Timeline-
It started in the Americas in the late 1600’s.
Once Louisiana fell under Spanish rule in 1762, It was illegal
even when it came under United States Rule in 1803, up until
1823 when it was again legalized. Just because it was illegal
doesn't mean it didn't' happen.
-It was cancelled in 1818 and 1819 due to the bloody civil war.
-Thru the 1920's and 1930's the laws of prohibition and the
Great Depression took it's toll but the parades still rolled.
-In 1942 it was cancelled during the war.
-In 1979 a police strike in New Orleans, caused 13 New Orleans
parades to be cancelled but it still took place in other cities.
-In 2002, the terror of 9/11/2001 still loomed, but the parades
rolled with armed soldiers in the streets and helicopters in the
air.
-In 2006, the horrible devastation and complete destruction of
Hurricane Katrina from August 2005, left hundreds of thousand
homeless, business gone, and an economy crippled, Yet the people
of the coastal states vow to upholding the tradition.
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