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<td><p align="left"><font color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">A Mardi Gras History</font><font
color="#800080" face="Pegasus"> </font></p>
<a name="top"><br></a></font>
<font face="Pegasus"><img src="maskface.gif" align="left" hspace="0" width="125" height="175"></font><font
color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">E</font><font face="Pegasus">very year, New Orleans
shuts down and throws the party of parties. Everywhere else in the country, it's just
another Tuesday. But, in New Orleans it's the Mardi Gras ! </font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Pegasus">Mardi Gras is more than a single day of celebration.
It's a state of mind. Mardi Gras reflects and defines the cultural traditions of New
Orleans. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">M</font><font face="Pegasus">ost
"visiting revelers" assume Mardi Gras takes place on a single day. This is true. Mardi
Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Some time ago, the tradition was to slaughter a fatted
calf on the Tuesday before the beginning of the Lenten 40 day fast. Thus, the coining of
the phrase "Fat Tuesday." </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">T</font><font face="Pegasus">here is a
distinction, however, between Mardi Gras and Carnival. Mardi Gras is a single day that is
the climax for the Carnival season. The Carnival season begins on January 6th or Twelfth
Night (Kings Night) and runs until the beginning of Lent- referring to the Easter season and Ash
Wednesday). Carnival can run as long as two months, depending on the church calendar. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">M</font><font face="Pegasus">ardi
Gras day or Fat Tuesday is the traditional day for masking. However, you'll <img
src="crown&prpl0.jpg" align="right" hspace="0" width="150" height="120">find people enjoying this tradition beginning
the Friday before Mardi Gras day. Mardi Gras costumes are elaborate. Sequins and feathers
rule the day. Families and friends often mask as a group and as you will see, it's not unusual to see a marching box of Crayola Crayons or a bunch of men, bare-chested as firemen, carrying a ten
foot hose. Anything goes on Mardi Gras day. However, the obscenity laws are still on the
books. Although, it's amazing what people get away with wearing or, should I say, NOT
wearing. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">T</font><font face="Pegasus">he French
Quarter is often called the "adult" Mardi Gras. Costumes can be more than
revealing and there are some Carnival traditions (i.e. The chant "Show me your
"insert preferred body part here" !) that would land a person in jail on any
other day of the year. Police tend to look the other way at most of the stuff that goes on
Mardi Gras day. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">T</font><font face="Pegasus">he
lower French Quarter (<em> St. Ann & Bourbon Stree</em>t ) is the center for Gay Mardi
Gras. This is where you'll find the more extravagant costumes. People come from all over
the world just to strut around in costumes of their own design. Of course, going home with
a prestigious Bourbon Street Award is often the motivation for their sequined madness. </p>
<p align="left">Although parades roll for weeks before
Fat Tuesday, on the Day of Days - parades begin early in the morning with the ever popular
Zulu and don't stop until the last float passes late in the night. The highlight of the
parades is the toast between the King of Carnival - Rex - and the mayor of New Orleans.
This is the official proclamation and beginning of Mardi Gras. During thhe toast, Rex
gives all city workers the day off and commands everyone to have a good time. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus"><img src="mgbgjest.jpg" align="left"
hspace="0" width="150" height="125"></font><font color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">T</font><font
color="#800080" face="Pegasus">he Carnival season is the highlight of the New Orleans social
calendar. The season officially begins on Twelfth Night or "Kings Night." Many
New Orleanians with artificial Christmas trees will leave them up and replace the
Christmas decor with purple, gold and green ornaments. These are the official colors of
Carnival. Legend has it that these colors represent - green for faith, gold for power and
purple for justice. However, most people believe these colors were chosen, simply, because
they look good together. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Another Carnival tradition that begins
on Twelfth Night is the King Cake. A King Cake is a round cake decorated with sweet
purple, gold and green frosting. In every King Cake there is a little plastic baby
representing the baby Jesus. The person who is lucky enough to bite into the piece of King
Cake with the plastic baby gets to buy the next King Cake for the next King Cake party. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">During the Carnival season, Mardi Gras
Krewes , local clubs that sponsor parades and Carnival events, hold elaborate Balls and
parties where their King, Queen and other Royalty are announced for the year. On its
surface, the election of Royalty may seem comical. However, being chosen is a very special
honor and is taken very seriously by New Orleanians. Mardi Gras Royalty are elected
because of their contributions and standing in the community. Being chosen to represent a
Krewe as a King or Queen is an honor that announces to the community at large that these
people have made our city a better place and we recognize their hard work and dedication.
So, be sure to raise your cup and toast every King and Queen ! </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">I</font><font color="#800080"
face="Pegasus">f you don't live in New Orleans, it is impossible to understand all the
planning, hard work and expense that go into Carnival. Most Krewes begin planning for
Carnival a year or more in advance. People belonging to a Krewe pay dues and spend their
own money to stage their parades and to buy throws. This is not an inexpensive venture.
The average Mardi Gras Krewe spends hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours
of donated time to parade for just a few hours. Why do it ? New Orleanians love their city
and you just have to ride in a Mardi Gras parade to understand the thrill of throwing
stuff to a hungry crowd. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Although every King and Queen deserve
respect, the true King of Carnival is Rex. The identity of Rex is a secret until the day
before Mardi Gras. People anxiously await the announcement of the King of Carnival. Being
chosen as the King of Rex is the highest honor New Orleans can bestow. The King of Rex is
chosen because of his prominent standing in the community. It's a really big deal. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">The Queen of Rex is always a young
debutante. It's all very aristocratic. Carnival officially ends when the King and Queen of
Rex meet, at midnight on Fat Tuesday, the Queen and King of Comus. When they meet, the
traditional "Whenever I Cease To Love" theme is played and true New Orleanians
eyes fill with tears from memories of Mardi Gras past and the fact that they have to wait
another year to have this much fun. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Once the Royalty of Comus and Rex meet,
police take to the street on horseback - followed by street sweepers - announcing that
Mardi Gras is over and people should "clear the streets." By this time, most
people have had enough and are ready to rest. As soon as the last parade passes, the city
begins the incredible task of cleaning up. All the garbage is weighed and this is how New
Orleans estimates how many people came to Mardi Gras. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" size="6" face="Pegasus">H</font><font color="#800080"
face="Pegasus">ow Mardi Gras started is not really clear. There are plenty of legends and
stories about early Carnival. But, it's not certain which are myth and which are fact. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Legend has it that the first Mardi Gras
came to be because the early Christian church adopted and reformed the Roman feast of
Lupercalia, a decadent three days of celebration, in order to convert the pagans. The
early Church renamed the holiday to "carnelevamen," meaning "farewell to
the flesh." </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">The French coined the phrase Mardi
Gras, which means Fat Tuesday , and brought the holiday with them when they settled New
Orleans. In fact, in 1699 the French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville
landed near the mouth of the Mississippi River on Mardi Gras Day and named the plot of
ground "Pointe du Mardi Gras." </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Early Mardi Gras was not an organized,
community event. The holiday was basically celebrated by throwing private, wild parties.
After all, New Orleans was and still is a port city - and you know those sailors ! </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">On February 24th, 1857, Mardi Gras was
changed forever. This was the year that the first true Mardi Gras Krewe was formed. The
club called themselves the Mystick Krewe of Comus, after the Greek god of revelry. Comus
began the tradition of the elaborate Ball and Carnival parade. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Over the years, many more Krewes were
founded. It wasn't until the 1950's, however, that the Mardi Gras we know today came into
fruition. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Probably as a result of the post-war
baby boom, many more Carnival Krewes were formed in the fifties and sixties. Ask any local
and they're bound to have fond memories of riding on a float with their family. Mardi Gras
became a holiday for families to celebrate and spend time with each other. Today, Mardi
Gras remains a time to gather with family and friends. In fact, people are expected to
open their homes to friends and family if they live within walking distance of the
parades. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">In New Orleans, the more family
oriented Carnival has moved into the suburb of Metairie. The rise in the number of Krewes
and the population shift to the suburbs has created, really, two distinct Carnival
traditions. Parades roll in New Orleans and in Metairie. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">The parades that roll in New Orleans
are either "old line" krewes like Rex or, what have come to be known as,
"superkrewes." The "superkrewes" began in 1969 with the founding of
Bacchus- named for thegod of wine. The city was stunned by the enormous floats designed by
Blaine Kern (now a world famous designer of floats and other ornaments). In addition, this
Krewe allowed anyone who paid dues to be a member. It didn't matter if you could trace
your ancestry back to the buccaneers. The first King of Bacchus broke the most serious
tradition. The King wasn't a community leader but Danny Kaye, a Hollywood star. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">Today, Bacchus has become one of the
largest and best parades in New Orleans and rolls the Sunday before Mardi Gras. Every year
a different celebrity is made King and rides a special float. Last year, Jean-Claude Van
Damme rode as King. This year John Larroquette (Night Court), a New Orleans native, will
ride as Royalty. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">The founding of Bacchus started a new
tradition. Soon after the debut of this incredible parade, other superkrewes were founded.
Endymion, which rolls on the Saturday night before Mardi Gras, was established in 1974.
Endymion throws a party called the "Extravaganza" and tickets to this event are
cherished and hard to come by. The Extravaganza is a party held in the Superdome for some
10,000 people. Entertainment is provided by some of the top names in the business. In
1995, the 1,500 member Krewe of Endymion introduced the largest Mardi Gras float ever !
With the theme Welcome To The New Orleans Mardi Gras this float rolled with 150 maskers on
board. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus">In 1994, Harry Connick Jr., a national
celebrity and New Orleans native, began a new superkrewe called Orpheus that rolls on
Lundi Gras - the Monday before Fat Tuesday. This Krewe is destined to become one of New
Orleans favorites. </font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#800080" face="Pegasus"><img src="mg-danny.jpg" align="left"
hspace="5" width="116" height="174">In Metairie, the krewes that parade are usually groups of people that started
clubs for their families. The parades in Metairie have become more sophisticated and
larger over the years and some of them rival the best New Orleans parade. However, most of
the parades in Metairie rent their floats and you tend to see the same floats (modified a
little) rolling night after night. But, if you want to keep away from the more rowdy New
Orleans crowd, Metairie is a nice alternative. -- </font></p>
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