MARDÌ GRAS - NEW ORLEANS

A city of ‘excess’, nicknamed the Big Easy – that is, the place where anything is possible -, famous for the echo of music that resounds in the air, for its cultural melting pot, New Orleans is one of those places that should be visited once in a lifetime. What makes its atmosphere so special is the mix of cultures, particularly Caribbean and European, that have lived together here since time immemorial. A mix that has given rise to Creole cuisine, unique traditions and a city that is unlike any other in the United States (starting with its ornate buildings).

New Orleans – located in the state of Louisiana – has also become famous for Mardi Gras, one of the most extraordinary carnival celebrations in the world, for which thousands of people from all over the world flock to the city every year. This is the time of year when the various souls of the city manifest themselves.

Carnival, on the other hand, carries a very precise message: it reminds us of the existence of the possibility of change. It is a time when social hierarchies can be subverted and norms temporarily suspended, even through masks. In New Orleans – which has a cumbersome colonial past, being the city with the largest number of slaves because of the port from which they arrived – parades and festivals are often affirmations of its cultural and historical richness… and of possible change.

The historical origins of Mardi Gras

The very roots of Mardi Gras in New Orleans go back to its colonial past: it was the French who brought this tradition to New Orleans, and in particular Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, a wealthy landowner who financed an official Mardi Gras ceremony in 1833, played an important role. From then on, the carnival became a true institution and various Krewe, or associations, were created to organise the parades and new traditions.

The New Orleans Carnival season starts after Epiphany and continues until Mardi Gras, and throughout this time the city is in a festive mood, with parades, dances (some of them masked) and parties. But the celebrations are mainly concentrated in the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday.

A mosaic of traditions

What makes Mardi Gras in New Orleans so unique is the fusion of cultural influences from different parts of the world: French roots, African traditions, Spanish culture, and Native American influences mingle, telling the city’s complex and varied history. While maintaining its religious origins, Carnival here has adapted to the different ethnic groups and traditions that have taken part over the centuries.

What most characterises New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations is the music (the city is famous for its “sound soul”). But the real celebration is the parades, led by several Krewe, who parade with floats, music and people in disguise. Each parade has its own theme and as people pass by, they throw coloured paper strips, confetti, jasmine flowers, beaded necklaces and plastic coins, representing abundance and prosperity.

Parades

Every year, more than 70 parades take place in the city. The Krewes, the social organisations that organise the parades, are the initiators. Each krewe has its own theme, its own symbol and its own traditions, which are reflected in the floats, costumes and performances. Some Parade Krewe have existed for decades, others are more recent. They are non-profit organisations whose year-round members organise the parade theme, create the costumes and trinkets to throw to the crowd. Among the most famous are the Krewe of Zulu, known for its African-American parade and the Krewe of Bacchus, which is famous for its mythological-themed float. The parades are accompanied by bands playing jazz, blues and brass music, genres that have made New Orleans world famous.

The Colours of Mardi Gras

Every visual aspect of Mardi Gras is loaded with meaning. The colours of the festival have a precise symbolism. Purple represents justice, green symbolises faith and gold symbolises power. These colours can be found in every corner of the city, from the flags to the decorations on the floats to the participants’ costumes. The colours of Mardi Gras were chosen by Rex – the Carnival King – in 1872, in honour of the visit of the Grand Duke of Russia, Aleksej Alexandrovich Romanov.

“What are the Wild Waves Saying” float design by Jennie Wilde for the “Familiar Quotations” theme, Mistick Krewe of Comus, 1911: Carnival Collection, Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University trough Public Domain Review

The cuisine of Mardi Gras

In a city with strong culinary traditions, there is obviously no shortage of typical dishes for such an important event. The absolute star of the Mardi Gras table is the King Cake, so called because it was traditionally eaten during Epiphany, in honour of the Magi. It is a round cake often used as a centrepiece, sometimes flavoured with cinnamon, and covered with coloured icing and sprinkles. Inside is a small plastic figurine in the shape of a child: whoever finds it will be the king of the day and will have to host the celebrations the following year.

An unmissable savoury recipe is gumbo, a rich soup that probably originated in West Africa: the term seems to derive from the African ki ngombo, meaning okra, a plant once used to thicken the dish, which originally resembled a stew with fish and shellfish. In New Orleans the dish is prepared with prawns, smoked sausage, onion, celery, garlic, spices, tomatoes, peppers, hot sauces and broth, but the variations are endless.

Also essential are crawfish – freshwater prawns – prepared in broth or in the form of a creamy sauce to reuse the waste, and then jambalaya, a dish of rice, meat and vegetables. But no Mardi Gras is complete without the Muffuletta sandwich, the red beans and rice or the prawn étouffée. There is no shortage of dessert: everywhere you can taste beignets, bulging light pastry dumplings cooked in hot oil and dusted with icing sugar.