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Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday" in New Orleans is probably one of the biggest carnival events in the United States and in the world. The event includes many traditions, such as the "krewes" throwing beads, doubloons, cups and other "throws" from their floats. Mardi Gras also includes balls, which are by invitation only. Other traditions include king cakes, traditional colors, masks, and costumes (Hall of Festivities, 2010).
The history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is anthropologically both significant and interesting. The festival is said to have originated in ancient Rome, where the Lupercalia was celebrated. This was a festival to celebrate Lupercus, a pastoral deity. When Christianity came to Rome, the festival was incorporated into the new religious tradition, where the carnival was a period of celebration preceding the penance of Lent. The celebration traveled to France, where it was celebrated as Mardi Gras in Paris since the Middle Ages (Davis, 1997).
It was the French explorer Iberville who brought Mardi Gras to the United States in 1699. Under French rule, masked balls and festivals were the predecessor of the festival we know today. After being banned when New Orleans came under Spanish rule, the masked festivals returned in 1827 (Davis, 1997).
The festivals developed during the 19th century to include parades featuring masks, people in carriages and on horseback. To curb complaints about violence during the celebrations, the Comus organization was formed to impose a measure of regulation and safety to the event. This organization began customs such as using the word krewe to describe its members, the unifying theme displayed by floats, and the Mardi Gras ball (Davis, 1997).
The king and queen tradition, together with the king cake tradition, were instated during the 1870's (Hall of Festivities, 2010). Today, Mardi Gras in New Orleans occurs every year in February. Millions of tourists are attracted by this colorful and attractive festival.
References
Davis, Jim. Mardi Gras History. 1997. http://www.eastjeffersonparish.com/culture/MARDIGRA/HISTORY/history.htm
Hall of Festivities. The Traditions of Mardi Gras. 2010. http://www.novareinna.com/festive/mardi.html
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