Mardi Gras In Mobile - China Red Marble Texture - China Green Marble Texture

Overview of events

Overview of events

The Mobile Mardi Gras season starts in November with exclusive parties held by some secret mystic societies, then New Year's Eve balls. It has become closely entwined with the social debutante season for certain families. Other mystic societies begin their events at Twelfth Night (January 6), with parades, balls (some of them masquerade balls), and king cake parties.

During the last two weeks before Mardi Gras, at least one major parade takes place each day in the city. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last few days of the season. In the final week of Mardi Gras, many events large and small occur throughout Mobile and the surrounding communities (see event schedule).

The parades in Mobile are organized mainly by Carnival krewes or orders. Krewe float riders toss throws to the crowds. The most common throws are strings of colorful plastic beads, doubloons (aluminium or wooden dollar-sized coins usually impressed with a krewe logo), wrapped candy/snacks/MoonPies, decorated plastic throw cups, stuffed animals, and other small inexpensive toys. Major krewes follow the same parade schedule and route each year.

To Mobilians, "Mardi Gras" refers to the entire festival season, also known as Carnival. Local schools have multiple "Mardi Gras Holidays" (which can include Ash Wednesday), with the final Tuesday called "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras Day". Mobile's culture has become diverse, and the Mardi Gras season has been extended. The area's traditions draw from all its history, including Spanish, British, African, Creole,American and even Swedish influences.

History

A type of Mardi Gras festival was brought to Mobile by the founding French Catholic settlers of French Louisiana, as the celebration of Mardi Gras was part of preparation for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The first record of the holiday being marked in America is on March 3, 1699, at a camp site along the Mississippi River delta. After the construction of Fort Louis de la Mobile (17001702), the settlers celebrated Mardi Gras in Mobile in 1703, beginning an annual tradition, only occasionally canceled because of war.

Mobile was the capital of La Louisiane in 1702, but became British in 1763. Mobile later became part of Spanish West Florida (17801812). The Carnivale (Carneval) began on Twelfth Night (January 6) with torch-lit processions.

Mardi Gras has evolved over centuries in the Mobile area, combining tradition and culture with new ideas. French Mardi Gras arrived in North America with the founding French settlers, the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville: in the late 17th century, King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of La Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama and Louisiana.

The two explorers, coming through Dauphin Island (Alabama), navigated the mouth of the Mississippi River (charted by Cavelier de La Salle, 1682), sailed upstream, and on March 3, 1699, celebrated, naming the spot Pointe du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") 60 miles downriver from the wilderness that would become New Orleans 20 years later. Meanwhile, between 17001702, the 21-year-old Bienville founded the settlement of Mobile (Alabama), as the first capital of French Louisiana, and in 1703, the American Mardi Gras tradition began with French annual celebrations in Mobile. The feasting and revelry on Mardi Gras in Mobile was called Boeuf Gras (Fatted Ox). The masked ball, Masque de la Mobile, began in 1704, and the first known parade was in 1711, when Mobile's "Boeuf Gras Society" ("fat beef society") paraded on Mardi Gras, with 16 men pushing a cart carrying a large papier-mch cow's head.

Mobile shifted to Mississippi Territory in 1812, Alabama Territory in 1817, and Alabama state in 1819

By 1720, Biloxi became the second capital of Louisiana, and also celebrated French customs. Due to fear of tides and hurricanes, in 1723, the capital was moved to the inland port founded 1718 and called "Nouvelle-Orlans" (New Orleans). That city also started a Mardi Gras celebration.

In 1763, Mobile came under British control. Its restrictions on free blacks and racial segregation caused many Creoles to leave Mobile and move west towards New Orleans. In 1780, Spain took control of the Mobile area in the aftermath of the American Revolution. The Carnival celebration incorporated the Spanish custom of torch-lit parades on Twelfth Night (January 6, also known as Epiphany.) In 1813, Mobile became a United States city, included in the Mississippi Territory. In 1817 it was part of the Alabama Territory. In the Anglican and Episcopal traditions, the day before Ash Wednesday was celebrated as Shrove Tuesday, marked by consumption of rich foods before the fasting practices of Lent.

Cow bell (hung on collar) as in name: Cowbellion de Rakin Society

About 11 years after Alabama became a state (1819), a group of revelers, led by Michael Krafft, who was likely influenced by his Pennsylvania Swedish traditions of celebrating the New Year, stayed awake all New Year's Eve, started a dawn parade on January 1, 1831, making noise with cowbells, hoes, and rakes. The group became the first parading mystic society (or "krewe"), calling themselves the Cowbellion de Rakin Society, in a parody of French. They had annual parades each New Year's Eve. Nearly 125 years after Mobile's first parade of 1711, the new mystic society from Mobile, the Cowbellion de Rakin Society (1830), took their parade into New Orleans, circa 1835. In 1838, people in New Orleans adopted the "European custom of celebrating the last day of the Carnival by a procession of masqued figures through the streets."

In 1843, some men who had been refused membership by the Cowbellions, formed the Mobile "Strikers Independent Society" with their own New Year's parade. However, other men from Mobile formed the New Orleans Cowbellions in 1850, and in 1857, that Cowbellion society, renamed the Mistick Krewe of Comus, held its first parade on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Boeuf Gras Society (17111861) held their last procession on Shrove Tuesday in 1861, before the American Civil War, and then dissolved.

Joe Cain as Slacabamorinico

In 1867, after the War Between the States, Joe Cain revived the parades in Mobile on Mardi Gras, riding in a decorated charcoal wagon, along with six fellow veterans. That event is celebrated annually with Joe Cain Day (since 1966) and a parade on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The event's founder, artist and historian Julian Lee "Judy" Rayford, portrayed the "Chief" and in 1970 handed the features to the third "Old Slac", fireman J. B. "Red" Foster. Foster prtrayed the "Chief" until passing the features in 1985 to historian, public relations professional and pastor, Bennett Wayne Dean Sr. Dean, as Old Slac IV "hisself", celebrated his 25th year under the feathers on Joe Cain Day in 2010.

War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades, especially during the Civil War and World War II. The city has traditionally always observed some celebration of Mardi Gras.

Today, many mystic societies operate under a business structure; membership is basically open to anyone who pays dues to have a place on a parade float. In contrast, the traditional mystic societies were social clubs with secret membership lists. Divulging one's membership in a society can be grounds for dismissal. Some of the newer mystic societies actively recruit prospective members. Some of the older societies have restricted membership, with waiting lists numbering in the hundreds; others restrict members to alumni of particular schools, or other conventions.

The oldest parading society in Mobile is the Order of Myths, founded in 1868. Its Emblem consists of Folly chasing Death around the broken pillar of life, a symbol of Mardi Gras in Mobile. Other notable mystic societies include Knights of Revelry with its Folly dancing on the rim of a huge Champagne Glass, Comic Cowboys, Infant Mystics, Mystics of Time, Crewe of Columbus, Mystic Stripers Society, Order of Inca and Conde Cavaliers. Ladies' Societies include the Order of Polka Dots (OOP), oldest and largest of the Mobile ladies, the Maids of Mirth (MOMs), their friendly mystic rivals who hit the streets just one day following the OOP in 1950. Other women's mystic societies who have made a name for themselves include the society with the grammatically incorrect name, Order of LaShe's (sic.), Order of Athena which kicks off the parades on Mardi Gras Day and Neptune's Daughters. Each of these societies have contributed something to the fabric of Mobile's Mardi Gras tradition.

Traditional colors

Traditional colors, with metallic shine.

Meaning of Colors

Justice (purple)

Faith (green)

Power (gold)

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras in Mobile are purple and gold. Purple has been related to royal monarchies in Europe, and is the liturgical color used during Lent in Christianity. Many people in Mobile have incorporated a third color of green, perhaps from New Orleans' traditional colors of purple, green, and gold, from the Russian House of Romanov in 1872, when Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff Alexandrovitch, brother of the heir apparent to the throne of Russia, had accepted New Orlean's invitation to attend Mardi Gras, with festivities in his honor.

After Hurricane Katrina

Mobile, Alabama: Downtown flood waters came several feet up the Federal Courthouse steps during Hurricane Katrina, 4 months before Mardi Gras 2006.

Like so much of the Gulf Coast, many parts of Mobile were flooded due to the intense storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina in summer of 2005. Downtown Mobile was flooded several feet deep, including the downtown parade routes. Despite these difficulties, enough of the routes were cleared to continue Mardi Gras celebrations and Mobile had the largest Mardi Gras in its history following the storm. Mardi Gras in Mobile continues to be a popular local and tourist tradition with strong turn outs. The recent 2007 Mardi Gras season in Mobile was attended by nearly 0.9 million people, with police estimating the overall attendance at 878,000 and a crowd of 105,600 along the streets for the Fat Tuesday finale.

Contemporary Mardi Gras

Each year, the Mardi Gras (or Carnival) season starts with three major events: the November parties of the International Carnival Ball and the Camellia Ball, New Year's Eve and January 6, also known as "Twelfth Night" or the Feast of the Epiphany. In Mobile, the parade season generally starts three weekends before Mardi Gras Day with the Conde Cavaliers parade.

Starting two Fridays before Mardi Gras, there is usually at least one parade every night. The Wednesday before Mardi Gras is reserved as a "rain out" day in case one or more of the earlier parades are affected by weather.

Mardi Gras in Mobile: the Order of Myths 2007 catepillar float.

The weekend before Mardi Gras

Multiple parades lead up to Mardi Gras day. On Sunday (before Fat Tuesday), Joe Cain Day celebrations are held. In recent years these have included a joggers run and the Joe Cain Procession, also known as the "People's Parade", as originally, joining the parade did not require membership in a mystic society. It is always led by Chief Slacabamorinico "hisself" personified today by only the fourth person in the city's long-Carnival history to wear the features of the "Chief". He is surrounded by the Mistresses of Joe Cain mourning in red and followed by Cain's Merry Widows wailing in black.

Lundi Gras

The Monday before Ash Wednesday is known as "Lundi Gras" ("Fat Monday"), after the French tradition of eating good foods this day as well as Tuesday, in preparation for dietary restrictions during Lent. In Mobile, Lundi Gras is traditionally a family day. Schools are closed both Lundi and Mardi Gras. At noon, the Mobile Carnival Association's Floral Parade is held, with area parochial and public schools providing floats and young riders. The Optimist Club hosts a family-oriented midway near Fort Conde, complete with carnival rides, food, games and activities. Lundi Gras is also a day for king cake parties and other family get-togethers in Mobile.

As a tradition, after other parades, the Infant Mystics society has held its parade annually after 6 p.m. on this Monday night in downtown Mobile.

Annual events are shown in the Lundi Gras event schedule of Mardi Gras 2009:

Events on Monday, February 23 (2009):

11:00 am Arrival of King Felix III (name of Mobile's carnival king) on Government St.

12:00 Noon Felix III Parade and Floral Parade

3:00 pm MLK Business and Civic Organization Parade (rolls on Route D)

3:30 pm MLK Monday Mystics Parade (rolls on Route D)

4:00 pm Northside Merchants Parade (rolls on Route D)

6:30 pm Infant Mystics Parade

Mardi Gras Day

Celebrations begin early on Mardi Gras day. Downtown, the long parade organized by the Order of Athena rolls first, followed by the Comic Cowboys, founded in 1884. The evening ends with a spectacular night parade of illuminated floats decorated to a theme chosen by the Order of Myths. Each parade follows a defined route so that viewers can plan attendance along particular streets or balconies.

Order of Myths 2007 parade, emblem float

Some parades are long and circular so that viewers can walk to a second viewing spot and catch more throws, as the floats circle back. It allows more time to see performances as well.

The Fat Tuesday event schedule for Mardi Gras 2009 is as follows:

Events on Tuesday, February 24, 2009:

FAT TUESDAY! (always the day before Ash Wednesday)

10:30 am Order of Athena Parade

12:30 pm Knights of Revelry Parade

1:00 pm King Felix III Parade

1:30 pm Comic Cowboys Parade

2:00 pm Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (rolls on Route B)

6:30 pm Order of Myths Parade (rolls on Route C)

Numerous smaller parades and walking clubs also parade around the city.

The end of Mardi Gras

Promptly at the stroke of midnight at the end of Fat Tuesday, all festivities related to Mardi Gras cease, as it is the start of Lent. The city quickly cleans the streets for the next day. Local traditions frown on wearing Mardi Gras beads during Lent. Both Catholics and other Christians often observe Lenten rituals, such as giving up certain foods or taking on charitable obligations during the season of repentance.

Costumes and masks

OOM catepillar float.

Folly: Order of Myths 2007

On the days before Fat Tuesday (other than at parties), people who do not belong to a mystic society seldom wear costumes and masks publicly. Sometimes the general public may wear costumes or masks on Mardi Gras Day. Most people simply dress to be attractive, enjoying the open air and the chance to socialize with other people.

Mystic society members wear elaborate costumes that reflect the theme of their parade, ball or float. Costumes include custom-made hats or feather headdresses, though some societies do not require this. Most of the traditional krewes require riders to wear a mask that is sufficient to conceal the rider's identity. Excessive cutting of the mask or removing the mask at anytime during the parade is grounds for dismissal from some societies. Some mystic societies also require that members wear masks during the society's ball (typically held the same night of its parade).

Since 1957, the general public has been allowed to wear masks only on Mardi Gras day from 9am - 9pm, or if they are members of mystic societies. The restriction related to problems with masked bandits and also associations with the damage done by the Ku Klux Klan. (See below: Legal restrictions.)

Mardi Gras mask

Commercialization

There is virtually no commercial advertising during the Mobile parades, as it was prohibited by law in 1935. The various floats in a parade have been designed as independent creations, although some mystic societies have entertained the idea of corporate sponsors.

Floats

Mardi Gras in Mobile: the Order of Myths 2007 catepillar float

Order of Myths, 2007: Folly chasing Death

The design, construction and decoration of Mardi Gras floats is a year-round business in Mobile. Several companies along the Gulf Coast do no other work than building floats. The larger floats in Mobile's parades are designed to hold about 15 or 16 adult men and their throws. City regulations stipulate length, width and height of floats, to ensure that the floats can safely navigate the narrow streets and tight turns of Downtown Mobile.

The floats are typically multi-level, with a lower level, an upper level, and one or two mezzanine stations (typically near the back of the float). The Float "captain" typically rides on the upper level, which lets him or her see everyone on the float. For floats in night-time parades, the structures are wired for lighting, and a portable generator is towed behind the float to provide power. Each float also contains some type of portable restroom facilities. Although from the street, a Mardi Gras float might look like a dainty, flimsy contraption, the reality is that they are quite sturdily built and are capable of withstanding a good rocking by the riders.

Some of Mobile's most famous floats include:

Order of Myths Emblem: Folly chasing Death around the broken pillar of life (see image).

Infant Mystics' black, hissing cat, humping his back atop a cotton bale.

Knights of Revelry Emblem: Folly dancing in the goblet of life.

Infant Mystics Emblem: A black cat atop a cotton bale (the pillar of Mobile's antebellum wealth)

Mystics of Time's Vernadean, Verna & Dean: Giant, rolling fire and smoke-breathing dragon floats

Mystic Stripers Society's two large 40-foot long emblem floats, one a ferocious and "strong" Tiger, the another a sleek and "fast" Zebra.

Crewe of Columbus' Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria: Three floats built to resemble Columbus' famed ships.

Order of Polka Dots' famed emblem featuring three winged sons of Pegasus bearing the Golden Chariot of the Gypsy Queen through rainbow enveloped clouds

Order of Inca Messengers and Sun Worshippers: Some of Mobile's largest moving structures.

Conde Cavaliers Emblem: Swashbuckler points his sword right at Mobile.

The throws

Tossing throw beads as gifts

For many of the Mardi Gras parades in Mobile, members of societies on floats toss gifts to the general public, as so-called throws, including plastic beads, doubloon coins, decorated plastic cups, candy, wrapped cakes/snacks, stuffed animals, and small toys, footballs, frisbees, or whistles.

Mardi Gras throws have themselves evolved over the years. As little as 20 years ago, the beads thrown by Mobile maskers were small, cheap plastic pieces, and few maskers gave much thought to them. Today, the beads can be the most expensive items on a masker's throw list. In 1956, the first Moon Pies were thrown by children on the Queen's float in the Comic C

by: gaga

POST COMMENT

The Red Envelope Ritual James Dean 3 Red Light Fix - Review Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix - Review Twilight Saga Bill Burke in the Poker Red Carpet Are You Storing Agricultural Fuels Such As Red Diesel Fuel Properly? Fabulous Nike Victory Red Tour Driver Want To Learn How To Get Up To Speed Rapidly Playing Red Dead Redemption? Black Hat SEO: What You Shouldn't Do Review of Dell Inspiron M101z installed Ubuntu Light quick-boot OS No Red Face Formula Free - No Red Face Formula Rapidshare Linux Hosting Vs Windows Hosting Get The Best French Red Wine In New York Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix - Is it a Scam?