MARDI GRAS

(La Danse de Mardi Gras – The Balfa Brothers)

Today’s post is about Mardi Gras. We went to our first Mardi Gras parade this morning. (Of course we got up early to fit in a yoga class and some gym time before the parade.) Going to the gym gave us a perfect parking spot as it was then only a few minutes walk to the parade start.

Knowing very little about Mardi Gras before wintering in Alabama I did some research. Here’s a tiny bit of my findings.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday (known as Shrove Tuesday). Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana where they consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras–associated social events begin in November, followed by mystic society balls on Thanksgiving, then New Year’s Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday.

In 1703, Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana. French Catholic settlers brought with them their “carnival” traditions of feasting, revelry and merriment on the days preceding Ash Wednesday, which was followed by fasting during the somber, sacrificial season of Lent. In 1703 these French settlers in Mobile established the first organized Mardi Gras celebration tradition. The first informal mystic society, or krewe, was formed in Mobile in 1711, the Boeuf Gras Society. It’s said that Mobile’s first parade was held in 1711, when 16 men pushed a cart carrying a large papier-mâché cow’s head down the street, kicking off a big outdoors party.

Mardi Gras Colours

The colours traditionally associated with Mardi Gras are green, gold, and purple: Purple Represents Justice, Green Represents Faith, and Gold Represents Power.

Beads

Mardi Gras beads have been popularized for their widespread use on Fat Tuesday. These Mardi Gras “throws” were similar to the festival customs of the English Renaissance era. During the late 1800’s, inexpensive necklaces made of glass beads began to be tossed into the crowds by the parade krewes.

Moonpies

Some say these should be called Mardi Gras pies. The Chattanooga Bakery began making moon pies in 1916. They first came in graham cracker cookies with a marshmallow center. Now, the famed cookies come in chocolate, banana, coconut, orange and vanilla.

The first to throw moon pies were the krewe of “Maids of Mirth” in 1974. Soon other krewes were following the action as the throw caught on.

Costumes

Mardi Gras, as a celebration of life before the more-somber occasion of Ash Wednesday, nearly always involves the use of masks and costumes by its participants. Many costumes today in this area are simply elaborate creations of coloured feathers and capes.

Mardi Gras 2019

2019 brought a late Mardi Gras season, with Fat Tuesday falling on March 5. Consequently, Mobile’s parade season didn’t start until Feb. 15.

March 5 is almost as late as Fat Tuesday can fall, given its fixed relationship to Easter. It’ll be 2031 before it again comes this far into the year, and in 2038 it’ll land on the latest possible date, March 9.

In the Mobile area (of which Gulf Shores where I’m living is a part) there were 61 parades. What! We only went to the Gulf Shores parade. It was interesting. The parade look approximately 30 minutes to completely pass where we were standing. There were floats, the local high school marching band,dogs, cheerleaders, fire trucks and police vehicles, and lots of people in costumes.

Out to the crowd they were throwing coloured beads, moon pies (look to me like mini wagon wheels), plastic cups, t shirts, cup holders, and mini footballs.

I got two moon pies and of course I had to sample them. Not my favourite item to eat. (My kids never really like wagon wheels even though their Grammie Ruby kept buying them.)

I also got some beads.

No flashing to get them. Lol.

The streets were lined several deep with spectators (right out in the middle of the street – no one really stayed on the side of the street) carrying bags to collect their goodies. I even saw one family with a big Rubbermaid tub on wheels for their parade spoils. Incredible! What was even more incredible was watching everyone clamouring over each other to grab these items.

Here’s a few more parade pictures.