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The Courir de Mardi Gras (Cajun French pronunciation: [kuɾiɾ d maɾdi ɡɾa], French pronunciation: [kuʁiʁ də maʁdi ɡʁa]) is a traditional Mardi Gras event held in many Cajun and Creole communities of French Louisiana on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Courir de Mardi Gras is Louisiana French for "Fat Tuesday Run". Jerrod Guillory is a local Creole comedian, but also a member of one of the groups that organises the floats and parades carrying on the tradition of this pastoral Mardi Gras festival. As best as his group can tell, the local populace around Grand Marais formed their own Mardi Gras festival in the 1800s. The Mardi Gras traditions show off New Orleans’ rich culture. Get ready to be wowed by the creativity and passion that make this celebration so special! The Rich History Behind Mardi Gras Celebrations. The history of Mardi Gras is a captivating story that spans centuries and continents. It started as a simple feast before Lent in medieval Europe. The music heard at rural Mardi Gras is Louisiana French music called Cajun, Creole, or zydeco music—played and enjoyed by people from all walks of life and who call southwest Louisiana home. Cajun and Creole music indigenous to Louisiana is played year-round, but to some younger generations and the less-informed, it is referred to simply as Three Cajun Mardi Gras Traditions Begging for Gumbo Ingredients. Traditionally known as Courir de Mardi Gras, festivities occur in towns throughout central Louisiana’s Cajun Country. Rooted in French medieval history and brought to Louisiana in the 19th century, Courir de Mardi Gras has many rituals that come together in a celebration on Fat The Varieties of Mardi Gras. By Frank de Caro . The existence of Mardi Gras in Louisiana is sometimes dated to 1699 when the explorer Iberville and his men rested that day by a stream they named Bayou Mardi Gras. That hardly resulted in implanting the holiday in the fledgling French colony, but after New Orleans was established, the holiday did become part of local life Mardi Gras playing dead, photo by David Simpson. Our Acadian, Cajun, and Creole ancestors brought the French common folks’ Mardi Gras traditions with them to Louisiana in the mid 1700s. The big cities such as New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama imported the Mardi Gras traditions of the wealthy from France, with some influence from Italy, in the Mardi Gras Past and Present Traditions from the past that live on today. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans since the explorer Iberville first set foot here on Mardi Gras Day 1699. In French colonial days, wealthy members of Creole society threw lavish Mardi Gras balls from Twelfth Night (Jan. 6) to Fat Tuesday Eve. By Jonathan Olivier. As early as the 19th century, Mardi Gras took on two distinct forms in Louisiana. The most well-known is, of course, the New Orleans celebration that involves ornate balls, beads, and parades that were originally celebrated by the city’s Creole and Anglo-American elites. Rural and Urban Mardi Gras Traditions Though very different in appearance, the courir de Mardi Gras and the festivities in New Orleans share the same historical antecedent. Two days before Lent in 1699, French Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville brought this Latin festival to the American Gulf Coast when his naval expedition Each recipe in this roundup has been carefully selected to showcase Louisiana’s diverse and vibrant culinary traditions. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or new to Cajun and Creole cuisine, these dishes are designed to be accessible and delicious, ensuring your Mardi Gras celebration is a flavorful success. A group of New Orleans women hope to revive a nearly lost aspect from the earliest days of the Baby Dolls tradition: singing in Louisiana Creole as they parade on Mardi Gras Day. From the legendary Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club to the mesmerizing Mardi Gras Indians, these traditions define the spirit of Black Mardi Gras and set it apart from mainstream Carnival celebrations. The Origins of Black Mardi Gras in New Orleans. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, established Mardi Gras krewes excluded African Bells, whistles, dance, and chants drape Simcoe and Surrey St. on Mardi Gras morning. The Mardi Gras Indian walking parade at Pontiac Point is a staple of Black Carnival, inspiring unity within the community. Lafayette Creole Mardi Gras introduced their original style of costume-making in the 1950s. These costumes are suggestive of our New Orleans neighbors', yet widely differing in approach Creole and Cajun cuisines have also played a major role in shaping the culinary traditions of Mardi Gras. Creole cuisine is a blend of French, Spanish, African, and Native American influences, while Cajun cuisine is rooted in the rustic, country-style cooking of the Acadians, who were French settlers in Canada before being expelled and settling Mardi Gras Traditions in Cajun and Creole Communities. Mardi Gras is a big deal in both Cajun and Creole cultures, but they celebrate it differently. In Cajun areas, you’ll see the Courir de Mardi Gras. This involves costumed riders on horseback going house to house, collecting ingredients for a communal gumbo. Creole Mardi Gras is more urban In places like New Orleans, Mardi Gras is not just a holiday; it is a celebration of the city’s unique cultural heritage. New Orleans has long been a melting pot of different cultures, including French, Spanish, African, and Creole influences. Mardi Gras reflects this diversity through its music, food, art, and traditions. Mardi Gras is a time-honored tradition celebrated by both Cajuns and Creoles in Louisiana. The holiday originally began as a way to mark the last day of indulgence before the start of Lent, and has since evolved into a raucous celebration complete with parades, costumes, and beads. The country courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras run, belongs to an ancient tradition of masked begging processions—sometimes called midwinter "luck visits"—once widespread in Europe. As these customs spread to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, the Caribbean, and parts of the United States, they remained dynamic by adapting to new surroundings and "Mardi Gras Song." On Les quatre vieux garçons. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, FW02626_201, 1984, streaming audio. Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band. "La danse de Mardi Gras (the Mardi Gras Dance)." On Live! At The Dance, recorded 1994. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, ARH00418_110, 1994, streaming audio. Pine Leaf Boys. "Creole Mardi Gras."
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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