The French in
New Orleans were having private masked balls and parties
in 1718. When the Spanish government took over, parties and street
dancing were banned. It wasn't until 1827, when Americans
were in power, that the right to party in masks was restored. During the
1850s, the city's elite and
their elegant Mardi Gras parties were quite a contrast to the wild partying
and near-rioting in the streets. It was soon clear that all celebrations
were in danger of facing another ban.
In 1857, a group
of men formed a secret society called the Mystick Krewe
of Comus. They knew that Mardi Gras could be preserved with planning,
organization, and management of the celebrations. Comus planned the
first parade around a theme and used flambeauxs to light the procession.
The Krewe of Rex also formed the same year -- principally to
entertain the visiting Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia.
Since America
didn't have royalty to properly welcome the Grand Duke,
the men in Rex created a King "for the day" so the Grand Duke could be
royally received. They secretly annointed one of their own to be the
King of Carnival. Mockery is a theme characteristic of Mardi
Gras! (To this day, many parades keep their King's identity
a secret until parade day.) It soon became known that the Grand
Duke's reported mistress lover, Lydia Thompson (an American
actress and star), was appearing in New Orleans during the Duke's visit.
We don't know if
having a mistress at that time was to be kept quiet, but the parade band
didn't care, and its official theme then became "If Ever I
Cease to Love You." Mardi Gras has always been risque at times! New Orleanians
have since formed a lot of secret societies that have
served many charitable and social functions. They often help unite the
city with their parade's political themes. In 1877, after a brief
interruption from the Civil War and the unrest that followed, the Krewe
of Momus (not Comus) held a parade with the theme "Hades, a Dream of
Momus"
to ridicule President Grant and his administration. During the Persian
Gulf War, the theme for many parades and costumes was patriotism.
In order to catch Mardi Gras
throws, many
parade-goers fashioned nets with a cardboard face of Sadam Hussein
saying "Hit Me!" Mardi Gras is pretty sassy, too!
Mardi Gras can
even poke fun at itself. The blacks of New Orleans mocked
the snobishness and exclusivity of Rex with their own parade. In
1909, William Storey wore an old tin can for a crown instead of the
more elaborate crown Rex used. William was crowned "King
Zulu" that year, and was proceeded by "Provident Prince"
and the "Big Shot of Africa." Donning black face and
white eyes is another irresistible pun of the Zulu Social Aid &
Pleasure Club. Zulu's parade would meander from barroom to barroom in junky
cars and wagons instead of floats. If you
wanted to catch the start of the parade, you had to find the bar that
was extending hospitality to King Zulu. This Krewe didn't
establish a parade route until recently. Today,
Zulu, with
its beautiful modern floats, is one of the more popular parades of the
season! They are known for their unique, hand-decorated
coconut throws. Only a fortunate few are lucky enough to get those!
Most Mardi Gras
Krewes developed from private social clubs that have
restrictive membership policies. Since all of these parade organizations
are completely funded by its members, we call it the "Greatest Free
Show on Earth"! However, in 1991, the New Orleans City Council introduced
a parade organization anti-discrimination ordinance.
As a result, some of the oldest private clubs--Momus, Comus and Proteus--no
longer parade
the streets. The most recently developed parade organizations are open and
not secretive. Endymion,
Bacchus, Zulu,
and Orpheus feature
superstars on their floats, and all take
place within the few days before Mardi Gras. You must not miss them! Catch
Orpheus "compucast"
live right here!