KELSEY CIABATTONI
THE SIGNAL
Beads. Booze. Masks. Mardi Gras.
Each passing year always promises another round of debauchery-filled celebrations leading up to Fat Tuesday, and on March 4, the last day of Mardi Gras will arrive. Traditionally, Fat Tuesday is the last day for Catholics to indulge before Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days of abstinence and fasting that come with Lent, but we’ve come to know it as much more.
Although tomorrow officially closes this Carnival season’s shenanigans, there is no need to stop the party just yet; here are some fun facts about the historical holiday to help end the celebration with a bang:
Mardi Gras literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French.
The name stems from the French tradition of feasting upon a fattened calf and rich foods on the last day of the Carnival season. The day is also known as Pancake Tuesday in England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada from the custom of making pancakes so as not to waste any remaining fat and dairy products.
The King of Carnival
While Mardi Gras has grown into a culturally diverse celebration, many of its symbolic traditions can be traced to the Rex Organization, which was established in 1872 by a group of New Orleans businessmen hoping to entertain the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff with a lavish parade. Each year, one member of the organization is chosen to be the Rex, which is regarded to be one of the highest civic honors a person can receive in New Orleans.
Rex, which is Latin for king, reigns as “The King of Carnival.” A companion for Rex is also chosen each year to be the “Queen of Carnival.” The queen is a current season debutante.
Mardi Gras “official” colors actually mean something.
The colors for Mardi Gras were chosen to honor the Grand Duke’s house colors of purple, green and gold. Purple represented justice, green signified faith and gold symbolized power.
The holiday has an official anthem.
“If Ever I Cease to Love,” a song from the 1870s musical comedy “Blue Beard” was played for the Mardi Gras king at the very first King parade and has been played for the King and Queen when they arrive at the Grand Ball in France every year since.
King Cake is really coffee cake.
The custom of eating King Cake began in France in the 12th century. The cake is typically made of coffee cake, baked in a wreath-like shape and topped with Mardi Gras colored icing.
In the earlier days, a coin or bean was baked inside each cake and tradition said whoever found the item would have a year of good luck. These days, a small baby figurine is baked into the cakes to represent the baby Jesus, with the recipient being declared a “king” and expected to host the next year’s King Cake party.
Fat Tuesday is a legal holiday in New Orleans.
While the holiday is celebrated all over the United States, Louisiana is the only state where Fat Tuesday is recognized as an official holiday. In 1873, the floats were constructed entirely in New Orleans instead of France for the first time, which prompted Governor Henry C. Warmoth to sign the “Mardi Gras Act” making it a legal holiday in 1875.
Beads didn’t enter the picture until the 1880s.
The festival custom of Krewes, or private social organizations that fund Mardi Gras events, handing out treats to parade onlookers dates back to Renaissance Europe when participants would throw out ale, meat and grain to onlookers.
However, the most visible symbol associated with Mardi Gras today became embedded into its history when one of the Krewe members dressed up as Santa Claus and tossed out glass beads. Sometime over the years, glass beads were replaced by cheap plastic beads, which today often earn the thrower a “flash of flesh.” That particular tradition dates back to the 1970s.
The first Mardi Gras in America took place in Mobile, Alabama.
The first Mardi Gras in America took place March 3, 1699, when French-Canadian explorer, Jean Baptiste Le Monyne Sieur de Bienville, landed near the Mississippi River on a spot he named “Pointe due Mardi Gras.” The celebration took place just 60 miles downriver from modern day New Orleans.
The tradition of masked balls during Mardi Gras began in the 1700s.
People would become so unhinged during the festivities that they began wearing masks to conceal their real identities in order to avoid any consequences from their night of mayhem.
At one point in the 19th century, there was so much drunk and disorderly conduct occurring that authorities made the wearing of masks illegal, hoping to curb some of the rowdiness. However, people were not discouraged by the new guidelines and the chaos continued anyway.
To get into the Fat Tuesday spirit, there will be a grand Mardi Gras parade tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in the Galveston Strand District and historic downtown. The parade will feature marching bands, dance teams and dozens of lighted floats.
For more information on Galveston’s Mardi Gras activities, visit www.mardigrasgalveston.com.
