More than a Party

In the midst of the year which is still somewhat new, the people of Louisiana and some gulf coast towns from Texas to Alabama are gearing up for carnival or Mardi Gras as the world knows it. Mostly people from outside the area, generally think of Mardi Gras and New Orleans and the experience that NOLA offers to visitors and citizens alike...and they think of it as one big party. But its so much more than that.

If you take a journey outside of New Orleans proper you quickly realize that Mardi Gras is much more than a party. It is more of a family experience and atmosphere where people work together to build their handmade floats out of flatbed trailers covered in paper mache and brilliantly painted with the theme of the specific "krewe" for that Mardi Gras season. They hold their carnival balls where royalty are adorned in sequins and rhinestones and the king and queen and their court welcome their patrons with pomp and circumstance. They toast and celebrate, they eat and dance, and party...but it is so much more.

This was a culture I knew nothing about until I arrived in the bayous of south Louisiana in 1982. It seems so foreign to me and took time to get into the what it was all about. I just so happened to connect with a family who were deeply involved in the Mari Gras traditions of their small bayou town of Montegut which was near the near of the road so to speak along Bayou Terrebonne, where seafood and oil were the lifeblood of the community. Where generations of families settled together, literally...four and five generations all lived within blocks of each other. People were born, lived and died without ever leaving the bayou. And in many cases is still that way today.

The family which I met were hard working people, the dad was a career Texaco man and in his off time (hitches home) he fished and trawled to bring in seafood for the family and for the daycare his wife owned and operated. I always said, the kids who came to Lady in the Shoe daycare were fed the best of any kids in any daycare anywhere.

But the dad had many other skills one of which was a creative eye for float design. This man MADE much of the furniture in his home which he built from buildings he bought from an old sugar mill which was torn down near his town. You would have thought it was all custom made...and it was. When it came to his float design he had a way of translating his ideas into a beautiful finished product. Men would work for months building the floats preparing for Mardi Gras while the ladies made the royal gowns and sewed and stitched thousands of tiny shiny ornate designs onto the costumes.

Just weeks before the parade days all of the festivities would get underway with gatherings, balls and cotillions which showcased the debutantes which were the children serving as pages, dukes, captains to the king and queen. It truly was a royal occasion one where the party goers were dressed in tux and evening gown. The formality of it all seemed so out of place from where I was standing, but seemed so right at the same time.

Then as parade day approached the excitement would build, people would days before start to cordon off their spot on the parade route. Parking RVs, pick up trucks, trailers and anything to create their own private viewing stand with all the amenities needed to have an enjoyable event. It truly became a home away from home for a few days for many people. To add to the atmosphere, a carnival fair complete with rides and attractions would set up to give the kids things to do before the big events...the parades themselves.

On parade day, people watching on the parade route was the best. The costumes people wore, but not like you would see in NOLA, this was mostly a family environment. There were libations and music of all genres, but you could always here some great Cajun Zydeco music going and grills cooking up boudin and other meats or boiling pots with those luscious Louisiana crustaceans "crawfish" with #freshproduce of potatoes, onions, lemons, garlic and more.

As the parade approached everyone got into position, chants of "throw me something mister" or people calling the float riders by name, even though there were masks being worn most people knew who was on the float. Beads would fly, doubloons etched with the parade krewes logo and year...which were highly sought after as collectables, other trinkets and candy and all sorts of things would come at you fast and you had to be ready with your head on a swivel or else you might get hit...and I did a time or two. Float riders would pause, to take sip of whatever they were drinking and just dance in place to whatever music they had on the float...but it was more than a party.

This was the Mardi Gras experience I first had when I arrived in Louisiana, I learned that the party was more of a celebration and based on the Epiphany season before Lent began. This culture of people worked hard and played hard when it was time to. And I was fortunate to connect with a family who were not only invested in Mardi Gras but made it a big part of their family activities.

That family became my in laws and my wife Jean was then and forever will be connected to Mardi Gas and all of its meaning and celebration and for what it meant to her growing up, how we introduced it to out girls who were also involved in Mardi Gras and again as adults Jean and I being active participants in the greatest show in Mardi Gras, the Krewe of Orpheus in NOLA. It runs deep...and it will always be more than a party to us.

Happy Mardi Gras to All