Mardi Gras History And Trivia
It’s Mardi Gras 2012, and people around the world are celebrating the carnival season that comes before Lent. Here are some things to know about Mardi Gras history and in traditions:
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The phrase “Mardi Gras” means Fat Tuesday in French, referring
to the Catholic tradition of eating richer, fatty foods just before the
Lenten fast. The ceremony has since come to be associated with all forms
of joy and excess. It is the last hedonistic exercise before the
meditation and cleansing of Lent, which lasts from February 22nd to
April 7, 2012.
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Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival season, came to the U.S.
from France, where it had been a tradition since the Middle Ages. Meant
to coincide with the Lent, the carnival begins on or just after the
Christian feast day of Epiphany and culminates the day before Ash
Wednesday. Mardi Gras’s roots, however, may predate those traditions.
Many see the carnival as a descendant of ancient tribal rituals of
fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring.
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According to most sources, Mardi Gras arrived in New Orleans by
way of French explorer Pierre Le Moyne Sieur d’Iberville, who launched
an expedition along the Mississippi River back in 1699. He set up camp
on the West Bank of the river, about sixty miles south of the present
day Louisiana city on March 3rd, the same day Mardi Gras celebrations
happened to fall in France. To honor his native country, Iberville named
the site Point du Mardi Gras, and celebrations have been held there
ever since.
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Throwing trinkets into the crowd at Mardi Gras has been a
tradition since 1870, and Mardi Gras beads have long been a staple of
that tradition. Although the beaded necklaces thrown from the balconies
and passed out at events come in all shapes, sizes and colors, everyone
tries for purple, green and gold strands. Purple traditionally represent
justice, while green represents faith and gold represents power. They
bring good fortune to the person who catches them, but will bring bad
luck if visitors pick them up from the ground.
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King cake, another New Orleans staple, has its own rituals and
superstitions. There are actually two kinds of king cake: one in ring
form, and one modeled after the “galette de roi” sold in French
bakeries. King cakes usually comes stuffed with cream cheese, pecans or a
variety of fruits, and are dusted with purple, green and gold sugar.
For many years, king cake came with a plastic baby inside to symbolize
Jesus Christ, with good fortune brought to the man or woman who found
it. Today, to combat choking hazards, the baby is placed on top of the
cake, if it is present at all.
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In 1857, the Krewe of Comus was formed, and the term “krewe”
was added to the Mardi Gras lingo. Comus started many of the traditions
we know today, such as having themed parades with floats and holding
after-parade balls.
