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.  

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