Mardi Gras Traditions over the Years

When you think of Mardi Gras there are definite traditions that have been practiced for hundreds of years. Mardi Gras in New Orleans follows several of the traditions for this over the top carnival holiday.  We are hoping that attending the World’s Largest Mardi Gras Pub Crawl becomes a tradition for many of you. In this week’s blog, we will highlight a few of the most common traditions practiced during Mardi Gras.

When you look at the history of Mardi Gras you will often see the word Krewe used. A Krewe is an organization that is responsible for creating the parties and parades happening for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It is made up of several members and a captain, and these people work throughout the year in secret preparing for the big celebration. There are many Krewes around today, but the Rex Krewe dates all the way back to the 1800s. Krewes were mostly made up of males until the early 1900s when all-female krewes began to appear. Krewes seem to be involved in the creation of many Mardi Gras traditions.  

Beads and Doubloons

Beads are the most popular thing thrown for Mardi Gras across the country, but in New Orleans, a wide variety of things are thrown from parade floats in addition to beads. In the first parades the beads were made of glass but in the mid-twentieth century plastic beads were introduced. Small

trinkets such as stuffed animals, small toys, doubloons, and plastic cups (aka New Orleans dinnerware!) are all used.  Doubloons became a very popular commodity in 1960 when they were first thrown by the Krewe of Rex. Doubloons are 2-sided medallions that have become a collector’s item in New Orleans. The medallions had the krewe’s founding date, emblem, and name on one side and the theme of the parade on the other side. Over the years, they became so popular that every krewe created their own doubloon. If you plan on attending a parade in New Orleans be prepared to work hard to get your hands on a doubloon, they are very sought after from parade-goers.

Masks

Mardi Gras masks add an element of mystery and intrigue to the celebration. Originally, wearing a mask during this holiday allowed a person to let their guard down and feel free to have a good time. This allowed different classes of society to mingle with each other. Today it is a fun and beautiful tradition that still allows a person to feel like they can be a bit freer to act out more than usual, providing a sense of anonymity. The law in New Orleans requires anyone riding on a float must wear a mask.  

King Cakes

King Cakes have changed quite a bit over the years. The New Orleans King cake may be plain, filled with cream cheese, fruit, or pecans. The cake is decorated with the traditional Mardi Gras colors purple, green, and gold. This may sound a little bazaar, but a plastic baby is placed inside the cake and whoever the lucky person is the receives the piece of cake with the baby is asked to buy the next cake.

With these traditions explained, now you are prepared to attend the Lake Pub Crawl on February 8, 2020. Maybe we should start our own tradition at the Lake of the Ozarks with our own doubloon and our version of the King Cake. To follow updated information on the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl, follow our social media or visit our website.  You can also text “LakePubCrawl” to 71441.  

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about 

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:

Follow us on Twitter

LIKE us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Check out our Website

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com

Brought to you by the

Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

Masquerading for Mardi Gras

For as long as we can remember, it's been a long standing tradition to wear masks on Mardi Gras. But what's the reason behind this tradition? Mardi Gras masks add an element of mystery and intrigue to the celebration. Originally, wearing a mask during this holiday allowed a person to let their guard down and feel free to have a good time. This allowed different classes of society to mingle with each other. Check out the history behind masquerading for Mardi Gras and find out how you can stay up-to-date on our upcoming Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl!

History of Mardi Gras Masks
Mardi Gras made landfall in the United States back in the 17th century when the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville set up camp 60 miles from New Orleans on the day that the holiday was being celebrated in France. He called the location Point du Mardi Gras. But, Mardi Gras and the accompanying masked balls associated with the holiday were outlawed when the Spanish governor took control of the area in 1766 as well as when it came under U.S. rule in 1803.

But by 1823, the Creole population convinced the governor to permit masked balls. By 1827, wearing a mask in the street was legalized in New Orleans. (They’re now only legal to wear on Mardi Gras Day.) When the first official “krewe,” or elite social club, was established in 1857, the Mardi Gras parades that they organized became formalized annual occasions, which meant that parade participants donned masks and colorful regalia with greater frequency.

Masks are Required by Law
Float riders in New Orleans are actually required to wear masks, not because of tradition, but because it's a law! It is illegal to be on a Mardi Gras float unless you are wearing a mask. If you are simply watching the parade, you aren't required to put one on, but it can make things a lot more fun! Now, most people opt to wear the masks as part of the festivities, which is 100% acceptable and encouraged! But, in New Orleans many of the local shop owners will post notes on their doors prohibiting patrons from wearing them in their stores... You know, for safety reasons and all that.

Got Your Mask Ready?
Today it is a fun and beautiful tradition that still allows a person to feel like they can be a bit more free to act out more than usual, providing a sense of anonymity. So, if you're into keeping tradition and having a blast while celebrating, you better show up to the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl donning your best mask!

Mark Your Calendars!

Save the date of Saturday, February 16, 2019, for this will be the biggest and best year yet! To stay up-to-date on all Pub Crawl happenings, text: "LakePubCrawl" to 71441.

You can also visit www.LakePubCrawl.com to sign up for those text messages and also for email updates if you prefer to be reminded that way. Last, but certainly not least, make sure that you are following us on all of your favorite social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+!

 

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about 

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:

Follow us on Twitter

LIKE us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on Google+

Check out our Website

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com

Brought to you by the

Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

The Stories Behind 5 Popular Mardi Gras Traditions

When someone mentions Mardi Gras, there are certain things that immediately come to mind. This flamboyant holiday is filled with familiar symbols and traditions. (Hopefully for you, one of those traditions is attending the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl!) Here's a closer look at some of the things that are always present in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and you're very likely to see when you take part in Missouri's largest pub crawl. 

First of all, we need to explain what a "Krewe" is because this keeps popping up in our research. A Krewe is an organization that is responsible for creating the parties and parades happening for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It is made up of several members and a captain, and these people work throughout the year in secret preparing for the big celebration. There are many Krewes around today, but the Rex Krewe dates all the way back to the 1800's. They seem to be involved in the creation of many Mardi Gras traditions.    

Purple, Green, and Gold
Rex is credited with making these particular colors symbols of Mardi Gras. During the first Rex parade in 1872, the King of the Carnival proclaimed that all balconies should be draped in purple, green, and gold. Rex founders believed that "a king must have a kingdom, and a kingdom needs a flag." Due to the fact that many country's flags used three colors, that's the amount they decided to choose. 

"Heraldry" states that both metals and colors were needed, and rules that determine a coat of arms say that only 5 colors are acceptable: red, blue, purple, green, and black. Purple and gold are both royal colors fit for a king, and our best guess about the green is that they just liked the way it all looked together. The Rex parade of 1892 had the theme "Symbolism of Colors," and this is when the Mardi Gras colors were assigned their meanings. 

• Purple = Justice
• Green = Faith
• Gold = Power

Beads
Beads are the most popular thing thrown for Mardi Gras across the country, but in New Orleans, a wide variety of things are thrown from parade floats in addition to beads. Small trinkets such as stuffed animals, small toys, doubloons, and plastic cups (aka New Orleans dinnerware!) are all used. We didn't really find a reason for these throws other than that's what you do when you're on a parade float! "Flashing" for these throws is NOT considered tradition in New Orleans, but when inhibitions are lowered and people want to draw attention to get beads, it's just something that seems to happen.  

Doubloons
These 2-sided throws have become collector's items in New Orleans. In 1884, Rex began throwing medallions instead of trinkets. Those medallions are represented by doubloons today. One Krewe in the mid-1900's began having doubloons made that featured their emblem and founding date on one side and the current year and parade theme on the other. Now, most Krewes have their own doubloons made to throw but be warned, these are so popular and sought-after, you could get your hands trampled trying to pick them up off of the street! (Maybe we should start making these each year for the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl featuring the bars in place of Krewes!) 

King Cake
A King Cake is an oval-shaped coffee cake, braided and covered in icing with purple, green, and gold sugar. Many bakeries now add fillings to these cakes like cream cheese, nuts, and fruit. The one thing that must always be inside of a King Cake is a small toy baby. The person that receives the piece of cake containing that baby is automatically the one that has to provide the next King Cake. 

This tradition represents the belief that according to Christian faith, baby Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men and the world on January 6th. That is the date that Mardi Gras, aka King Cake season, begins.     

Masks
Mardi Gras masks add an element of mystery and intrigue to the celebration. Originally, wearing a mask during this holiday allowed a person to let their guard down and feel free to have a good time. This allowed different classes of society to mingle with each other. Today it is a fun and beautiful tradition that still allows a person to feel like they can be a bit more free to act out more than usual, providing a sense of anonymity. Float riders in New Orleans are actually required to wear masks, not because of tradition, but because it's a law!

There's a little peek into why some of the things you see and do for Mardi Gras exist. Now, which of these things will you incorporate into your own 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras experience? It's not too early to start planning. The biggest party at the Lake of the Ozarks will happen on Saturday, February 17, 2018. We can't wait to see all of you there in your finest purple, green, and gold! 

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about 

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:  

Follow us on Twitter
LIKE us on Facebook
Follow us on Google+
Check out our Website 

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com