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Ruralite Cafe: Published 3/09/00

By Lisa Majors-Duff



Frosty adds 'Mardi Gras' to his vocabulary

 By Lisa Majors-Duff -News Editor
It's rare that I hit upon a topic Frosty doesn't know at least a little something about. But Fat Tuesday, a.k.a. Mardi Gras, had the Sylva sage asking a lot of questions about beads and how he can acquire some.

Having traveled to New Orleans exactly twice, once when I was about 5 years old and again this past November, I don't pretend to be a Mardi Gras expert. I can say with some authority that the Crescent City is definitely worth a visit, whether your idea of fun is shopping, eating or partying. All are encouraged, especially the parties.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is not a celebration that's rolled out for a week once a year and then neatly put away. Signs of the world's biggest free-for-all remain visible year round. Purple, green and gold decorate most everything, while tourists are tempted with feather masks in nearly every French Quarter store window.

With Frosty asking questions I couldn't answer, I decided to do a little research on the subject. The following is from www.fattuesday.com:

"Mardi Gras was celebrated in the Christian countries of Europe long before the founding of the Crescent City. The day French-Canadian explorer Sieur d'Iberville and his men camped 60 miles south of New Orleans in 1699 happened to be Mardi Gras, March 3, so he named the place Pointe du Mardi Gras. It didn't take long for the French to start celebrating this holiday in the New World.

"Historians say that Mardi Gras was observed by masked balls and bawdy street processions in New Orleans as early as the 1700s. By 1806, the festivities had gotten so rowdy that Mardi Gras celebrations were forbidden, but by all accounts, this law was summarily ignored. In 1817, masks were declared illegal. But by 1823, the celebration that had been going on all along became legal again, and by 1826 even masking was legalized.

"There is much debate as to whether the first formal parade was held in 1835 or 1838, but no matter, the parades that traversed the muddy streets are said to have been wicked and satirical.

"The first krewe, or social society, to parade was the Mystick Krewe of Comus. Much of the pomp employed by the old krewes comes from the entertainments planned in 1872 when the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff came to New Orleans at carnival time in hot pursuit of actress Lydia Thompson. Forty businessmen got together and founded the Krewe of Rex, mounting a daytime parade in the archduke's honor.

"The city's upper-crust folks, always socially ambitious, decided to adopt the Romanoff household colors - purple, signifying justice; green, faith; and gold, power - as the official Carnival colors. The local gentry also learned that the Grand Duke Alexis's favorite song was a regrettable ditty called "If Ever I Cease To Love" from the New York musical 'Bluebeard' that starred Ms. Thompson. All these years later, it remains the official song of Carnival. The song is indeed so forgettable that many a jazz band gives up on the melody and plays a tune akin to 'Little Brown Jug.'

"Throughout the parade, masked riders stand atop two- and three-tiered papier-mache, tractor-towed constructions from which they throw plastic cups, panties and beads, as well as metal doubloons inscribed with the logo of the krewe, to the eager crowd. The riders often spend more than $1,000 on their individual stock of 'throws' to give out during the parade.

"In the early days of the festivities, merry-makers used to carry bags of flour that they would throw at each other. When a mischievous few mixed pepper with their flour, the practice had to be discontinued and safer things thrown.

"These days, the typical throws are beads, doubloons and, in recent years, Zapp's potato chips, which come packaged in Carnival colors. Onlookers vie energetically - sometimes boldly - to catch the most 'stuff'. In recent years, it's become more commonplace for women to expose their breasts than to shout out for a long strand of faux pearls.

"Be warned - many an ordinarily gentle, little old sterling-headed grandmother will stomp your knuckles bloody for that aluminum doubloon or a bamboo and rubber spear. Most important, never ever put your hand on the ground to pick up anything! If you want those beads or that doubloon, put your foot on it and don't lift your toe until you have it firmly in your hands.

"Those who live within walking distance from the parade routes sometimes joke that 'Mardi Gras' must be an old Creole expression meaning, 'May I use your bathroom?' Nowadays the city puts out a lot of Port-O-Johns, and restaurants and bars will let their patrons avail themselves of the facilities. Hint: Those groups who have large packs of newly toilet-trained kids or big drinkers in their party might consider renting a hotel room on the route."

New Orleans officials said late Tuesday night that this year's event may have drawn the largest crowd yet. They won't know for sure until they gather up all the garbage left behind and weigh it.

If you weren't one of those in the crowd, you can still get a taste of the celebration as another famous cafe, Lulu's, continues its Mardi Gras cuisine through Saturday.

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