Mardi Gras Traditions New Orleans

Mardi Gras History

The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies.

On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America's very first Mardi Gras.

New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early 1740s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.

The earliest reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body. That year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association was the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations formed in New Orleans.

By the late 1830s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. Dazzling gaslight torches, or "flambeaux," lit the way for the krewe's members and lent each event an exciting air of romance and festivity.

1872 was the year that a group of businessmen invented a King of Carnival, Rex, to preside over the first daytime parade. To honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, the businessmen introduced Romanoff's family colors of purple, green and gold as Carnival's official colors. Purple stands for justice; gold for power; and green for faith. This was also the Mardi Gras season that Carnival's improbable anthem, "If Ever I Cease to Love," was cemented, due in part to the Duke's fondness for the tune.

The following year, floats began to be constructed entirely in New Orleans instead of France, culminating with Comus' magnificent "The Missing Links to Darwin's Origin of Species," in which exotic paper-mache' animal costumes served as the basis for Comus to mock both Darwin's theory and local officials, including Governor Henry Warmoth. In 1875, Governor Warmoth signed the "Mardi Gras Act," making Fat Tuesday a legal holiday in Louisiana, which it still is.

Like Comus and the Twelfth Night Revelers, most Mardi Gras krewes today developed from private social clubs with restrictive membership policies. Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by their members, New Orleanians call it the "Greatest Free Show on Earth!"

Mardi Gras Traditions

Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats and excitement. It's one big holiday in New Orleans!
Revelers know to wear costumes or at least dress in purple, green, and gold, and adorn themselves with long beads caught from the floats of previous parades. You'll see a lot of crazy costumes, kids with their families are everywhere, and both locals and visitors having a great time. Parade goers will sit on the ground, throw balls, play music, eat great food and watch the crowds walk by between parades. On Mardi Gras day, the majority of non-essential businesses are shut down because of the celebration.

Experienced revelers know to bring a large bag with them so they can haul away all the beads and trinkets they will catch from the parades!

Mardi Gras Beads & Throws

So what are "throws?" Well, they are exactly what they sound like - items that krewe members on floats throw to parade-goers as the floats pass by! Throws often include doubloons, beads, cups, homemade trinkets, toys and more! The throwing of trinkets to the crowds was started in the early 1870s by the Twelfth Night Revelers, and is a time-honored expectation for young and old alike.
In 1884, Rex started using medallions instead of trinkets. These medallions are represented by today's doubloons, aluminum and anodized in many different colors. They depict the parade theme on one side and the Krewe's emblem on the other. They have become collectors items.
In the Bacchus parade, the King's float throws doubloons with the image of the celebrity king on one side of the doubloon. If you're lucky enough to catch one, hold onto it!

The most prized throws are the krewe's "signature throws." Zulu has it famous coconuts and many other krewes offer hand-decorated items including Muses shoes, Nyx purses, Alla genie lamps, Carrollton shrimp boots and the list goes on. Most krewes have medallion beads that feature that year's theme.

Other popular throws include cups (otherwise known as New Orleans dinnerware), long pearl beads and stuffed animals. Some throws even light up.

Be warned! If you're at your first parade and reach down to pick up a doubloon with your hand, your fingers may never be the same! Many stomp on doubloons in their rush to claim them.

Mardi Gras Balls

While most people think of parades when they think of Mardi Gras, there are plenty of other traditions too. The King and Queen of each krewe work all year long for the big, spectacular ball. Their identity is a closely guarded secret and part of the mystique until the night of the Ball.

Most of the balls are a formal and private affair for the krewe. Debutantes are introduced at the Ball Tableau as a formal introduction to society. In climbing the social ladder, children start by serving as pages to the court. Women dress in ball gowns and hope to be issued a "call-out" card. If a debutante is fortunate enough to receive one, she is seated in a select area and waits her turn to be "called out" for a dance by the krewe member who sent the card. A night of dining and dancing with a prince in formal attire - what a dream!

Attendance at the older, more aristocratic balls is by invitation only. No one really feels left out if they don't receive an invitation, though. Many prominent people aren't invited, including governors wanting to attend. Ball invitations were originally die-cut and printed in Paris.   Even today they can be quite colorful and valuable works of art. Invitations can also be collectors’ items framed for their beauty and considered interesting conversation pieces.

“Super Krewe” Balls

Some large parades produce an indoor extravaganza the night of their parade. While all balls are exciting events, Bacchus, Orpheus, and Endymion, the three “super krewes,” put on the best balls by far!

In Greek mythology, Bacchus is the god of wine and vegetation—and they host a celebration fitting of its namesake god. Mardi Gras balls were exclusive events closed off from most people outside of New Orleans society until this krewe revolutionized the event. In 1949, Edward Brennan Sr. created the krewe, a carnival Ball open to tourists. As they say, the first is the best because this event has become the talk of the town for tourists and locals alike!

The largest of all krewes, including the “super krewes”, the Krewe of Endymion hosts an after parade extravaganza that rivals any event of its kind. Held in the Superdome, the krewe hosts top name performers for entertainment with tens of thousands in attendance.  
The appropriately names Krewe of Orpheus puts on a black-tie affair full of music and merriment at the Convention Center. It was the first of the super krewes open to both men and women. The Lundi Gras spectacle is legendary for having top notch entertainment from some of the hottest superstars.

Mardi Gras Indians

Mardi Gras is full of secrets, and the Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secrecy as any other carnival organization. Their parade dates, times and routes are never published in advance, although they do tend to gather in the same areas every year.
The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the African-American communities of New Orleans's inner city. While these Indians have paraded for well over a century, their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition.
Traditional Mardi Gras organizations form a "krewe." A krewe often names their parade after a particular Roman or Greek mythological hero or god. The ranking structure of a Mardi Gras Krewe is a parody of royalty: King, Queen, Dukes, Knights and Captains, or some variation of that theme. Many of the more established krewes allow membership by invitation only.
Few in the ghetto felt they could ever participate in the typical New Orleans parade. Historically, slavery and racism were at the root of this cultural separation. The black neighborhoods in New Orleans gradually developed their own style of celebrating Mardi Gras. Their krewes are named for imaginary Indian tribes according to the streets of their ward or gang.
The Mardi Gras Indians named themselves after native Indians to pay them respect for their assistance in escaping the tyranny of slavery. It was often local Indians who accepted slaves into their society when they made a break for freedom. They have never forgotten this support.

Indians’ ranks: spy boy, Flag Boy, Big Chief

On Mardi Gras Day, if you're lucky enough to see some of the Mardi Gras Indians, the first Indian you're likely to see is the Spy Boy. His job places him ahead of the Big Chief's procession. Each Spy Boy has a method to signal potential trouble or approaching rival Indian tribes… with dancing, whooping, hollering, and hand language. His observations are communicated to the Big Chief who, in return, sends a set of directions and instructions back down the parade procession.

It is through this elaborate system of dances, whoops, flags and hand signals that the Big Chief is able to direct a progression multiple streets long… even though he is far away from the front of the parade. This communication network is important, as it allows the Big Chief time to adjust his suit, don his headdress, and prepare a song for an impending meeting with a rival tribe. Marching the streets on Mardi Gras Day on the way to meet other Indian tribes is a tribe's opportunity to have an entire year's worth of artistic effort appraised by an opponent artist.

The Flag Boy is the next ranking Indian. It is he who carries the "gang flag" – a huge staff decorated with feathers (seen on left) and the gang symbol. Generally Flag Boys are a block or two behind Spy Boys, and at least a block ahead of the Big Chief. Their responsibility is to pass along Spy Boy's information to the Big Chief, and return the Big Chief's response back to the Spy Boy. By raising his gang flag high in the air and using prearranged signals, the Flag Boy is able to keep the Big Chief and Spy Boy in direct communication. This allows the Big Chief control over the direction of the route his tribe will take. As mentioned, the progression can be many streets long. "Second Liners" are always present between the ranking Indians. They are usually not costumed, but provide much entertainment as they follow along dancing, singing, beating drums and playing tambourines.

What’s a Mardi Gras party without a King Cake?

Mardi Gras and king cakes go hand in hand – especially in New Orleans where hundreds of thousands of king cakes are enjoyed at parties, offices and in homes every year.

According to the Christian faith, Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men and to the world on January 6th, also known as Twelfth Night or the Epiphany. The word "Epiphany” is from the Greek word "to show.” This is the day Mardi Gras season – hence king cake season – begins.

Each king cake has a tiny baby inside (generally plastic now, but it's possible the baby might be made of porcelain or even gold). The lucky person who receives the slice of cake with the baby has the next king cake party (or brings the next cake for the office).