What is Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras, "Fat Tuesday" translated from French, is the last chance before Lent for revelry and almost anything goes. It can occur on any Tuesday between February 3 through March 9. This is due to the Gregorian Calendar designed by the Catholic Church which sets a fixed date for Christmas and movable dates for other holidays. Easter is set on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25, and its exact date is set to coincide with the first Sunday niter the full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras is set 46 days prior to Easter -- the 40 days of Lent plus 6 Sundays.
In the late I700's pre-Lenten balls and parties were held in New Orleans. Under French rule. masked balls flourished but were banned later when Louisiana was under Spanish rule. after becoming an American city, New Orleans' fun-loving Creole populations convinced the governor to allow Mardi Gras balls in 1823. In 1837, a costumed group of revelers walked in the first documented parade. Due to the violence of several masked paraders during this period. Mardi Gras once again faced prohibition. Six New Orleanians formed the first "krewe" Comus and proved Mardi Gras could be a fun and beautiful celebration. Comus began several traditions such as forming a secret Carnival society, choosing a namesake from mythology, having themed parades with floats and costumed maskers and having a hall. Rex began in 1872 and has been known as the "King of Mardi Gras" ever since. This group honored visiting Russian royalty; organized the first daytime parade; choose the colors of Mardi Gras (purple, green, and gold); the musical theme, (If Ever I Cease to Love"); and produced its first flag. In 1916, the first black krewe, Zulu, came upon the scene. The first Zulu king poked fun at Rex and ruled with a banana scepter. Mardi Gras survived the war years, the Great Depression, and other struggles. It is celebrated throughout the entire Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle to Texas.
Parades are organized by social clubs known as Krewes and most take their name from historical or mythological figures. Comus and Momus arc the two oldest Krewes in New Orleans. Most krewes parade and hold Carnival balls. Usually, a King and Queen are selected lo reign over the masked tableaux ball. This royalty usually rides on its own floats but doesn't usually throw trinkets. They may be accompanied by their courts on floats in convertibles or masked dukes on horseback. Although all parades are fun, they are not created equal. Parades range from kids on hikes and little red wagon floats in area neighborhoods to the elaborate theme parades with floats that can hold up to 200 riders. Most parades have marching bands, jazz bands or flambeaux carriers interspersed with the floats. The best-known theme parades are Babylon, Hermes, Bacchus, Endymion, Rex and Orpheus. Some of the Krewes known as "super-krewes" have celebrity grand marshals. Flambeaux carriers light the way during night parades with propane held torches.
The Carnival Season (from the Latin Carnivale meaning farewell to flesh) is the season of Merriment which begins with Epiphany on January 6 (The Twelfth Night) and ends at Midnight on Mardi Gras. The season of feasting ends when the season of fasting begins with Ash Wednesday. From the French, the fatted ox or bull, is the symbol of the last meat eaten prior to the Lenten season. Prior to the 1900's a live Boeuf Gras was part of the Rex Parade--today he is still part in the paper mâché form.
FAVORS Mardi Gras souvenirs, given by krewe members lo friends attending the ball. Many favors are collectibles bearing the krewes emblem and date. In many cases the invitations lo the Carnival balls are also valuable. ln the past. they were dye-cut, and hand engraved in Paris. Today they may range from the "ticket" type to elaborate. KING CAKES An oval. sugared cinnamon coffee cake that contains a plastic baby inside. The person who "finds" the baby is crowned "king" and provides the next cake. The original king cake was created by Christians to thwart off the pagan Greek custom of selecting a young male villager to reign as king for one year only to be used as a human sacrifice al years end. Originally a bean was baked inside the cake but has been replaced by the plastic baby. King cakes are available beginning January 6, officially designated as the day the wise men "found" the baby Jesus. THROWS Throws encompass the group of inexpensive trinkets tossed from floats by costumes and masked riders. More popular throws are beads, cups. and doubloons. The first "throws" were used when a masked costume rider on float number 24 of the "Twelfth Night Revelers" dressed as Santa Claus and passed out gifts to the crowds. DOUBLOONS Doubloons are aluminum coins which can be minted in a variety of colors. The first doubloon was introduced by Rex in 1960 which had the krewes insignia on one side and the parades' theme on the reverse. These coins are not as readily available as they once were and have become quite valuable as collector items. COLORS OF MARDI GRAS Everything is purple, green and gold. Purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and µold signifies power. These colors have so much prominence in Louisiana. that LSU chose purple and gold as its colors and Tulane University chose green.
John Carraway (1873-1931), King Bienville I, and Blanche Picard (1887-1930+), his Queen, was the daughter of Bernard Picard (1853-1896) and Sarah Levy Picard (1859-1927). Blanche Picard Blanche Picard (1887-1930+), a native of New Orleans, graduated from Biloxi High School in May 1904 and Elizabeth College, Charlotte, North Carolina before she married Solomon Edward ‘Sollie’ Levy (1882-pre-1930). Sollie E. Levy was born at Newborn, Alabama. At Biloxi on August 27, 1908 in the Presbyterian Church, Rabbi Mose Bergman of New Orleans performed their nuptials. Phil Riser of Demopolis, Alabama and Florence Picard, sister of the bride, were Best Man and Maid of Honor respectively in their wedding. Sollie E. Levy was a successful traveling salesman. The couple's home was in or near St. Louis, Missouri. (The Biloxi Herald, August 14, 1908, p. 1 and August 27, 1908, p. 1 and Harrison Co., Mississippi MRB 21, p. 38)
Gulf Coast Carnival Association traces its roots back to 1908 and Biloxi’s first Mardi Gras parade, which included 17 floats, 50 flambeau carriers, the new 12-piece Herald Newspaper Band, a grand marshal, the mayor and the councilmen. The monarchs were the first King d’Iberville and Queen Ixolib. Eight years later, The Biloxi Carnival and Literary Association was incorporated. Its purpose: “to promote the study of literature and particularly Greek mythology, by artistic floats representing Greek mythology and historic events.” In 1929, the Biloxi celebration expanded to include other Coast cities, and around 1949 the Biloxi Carnival and Literary Association became the Gulf Coast Carnival Association. Biloxi’s Mardi Gras has been celebrated every year except for the following years: Thru the 1920’s and 1930’s the laws of prohibition and the Great Depression took its toll but the parades still rolled. In 1942 it was cancelled during the war. 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 thousands homeless, business gone, and an economy crippled, yet the people of the coastal states vow to upholding the tradition. Today the Carnival Association continues the tradition begun years ago, with King d’Iberville and Queen Ixolib reigning over parades in Biloxi on Fat Tuesday.