The COUNTDOWN to Mardi Gras 2011 has begun!!!
| Welcome to the place where Mardi Gras never ends. Mardi Gras is the greatest FREE show on earth. Mardi Gras is the ultimate getaway like none other. Here we continuously countdown to Mardi Gras, because the countdown never ends. The moment the countdown ends for one year, it begins for the next. So countdown with us, as we are counting down to Mardi Gras 2011. |
MARDI GRAS 2011 IS March 8, 2011.
OFFICIAL MARDI GRAS KREWE WEBSITES
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Mardi Gras has practically been in existence since the beginning of civilization itself. Long before the Europeans set foot in the new world, the ancient Romans celebrated a circus like festival called Lupercalia in mid February. The festival continued to evolve with time and eventually spread to France and Rome. The Christian church did not agree with some of the misconduct that followed the festival, but knew that the annual festival could not be done away with, due to a large following. It was around that time that the Pope made the dates of the holy days of Ash Wednesday and Easter fluctuate with the equinox. This way the season of Lent could coincide with the festival insuring that the festival would always end the day before the Lenten season began.
The festival tradition started to be embraced by Europeans as settlers began to journey to America. On March 3, 1699 Iberville set up camp on the westbank of the river about sixty miles south of what today is called New Orleans. Mardi Gras was being celebrated in France on that day, therefore he named the camp "Point Du Mardi Gras" in honor of its importance. The French settlers in Louisiana and Alabama continued to celebrate the tradition of Mardi Gras. Private carnival celebrations took place in 1718 as New Orleans was founded. Carnival balls were held throughout the Mardi Gras season by 1743. The Spanish gained control of Louisiana and banned all festivities associated with carnival. Once Louisiana was made a part of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase in 1823, the celebrations associated with carnival began again. In 1827 street masking was legalized again. By 1837, parades were unofficially held in various southern city streets. In 1857 a group of six New Orleanians formed what was called the Comus organization practically saving Mardi Gras. These six men were members of an organization called Cowbellians, which had put together New Year's Eve parades in Mobile, Alabama since 1831. Comus became to be the first organization to call itself a "krewe". Mardi Gras was interrupted by the Civil War, but the Krewe of Comus returned in 1866. In 1870 a group called the Twelfth Night Revelers was organized. In 1871 they began to present a young woman with a golden bean hidden inside of a cake. This was to be the first queen of Mardi gras. The Twelfth Night Revelers were the first krewe to have throws from a float,as someone on the 24th float dressed as Santa Claus handed out gifts.
The Krewe of Rex than had its first official parade in 1872 and was in honor of the visiting Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia. They chose the Royal colors of the Romanoff family for the backdrop behind where they were seated which were purple, green and gold. The purple stands for justice, the green stands for faith, and gold for power. These colors became the official colors of Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Rex was the first krewe to hold a organized daytime parade. Rex also introduced " If Ever I Cease To Love" as the Mardi Gras anthem.
In 1890, the first marching club named the Jefferson Buzzards was organized. The first black Mardi Gras organization called the Original Illinois Club was formed in 1894. The first female Mardi Gras organization was introduced in 1896 and was called Les Mysterieuses. The Krewe of Zulu appeared in 1909 as a paradox of Rex. Mardi Gras was cancelled in 1918 and 1919 due to World War one. Mardi Gras struggled in the 1920's and early 1930's due to the great depression. In 1935,The Elkes Krewe of Orleanians established itself as the first truck parade. The 1940's was prosperous for Mardi gras although it was canceled during the war years. The Korean War dampened the Mardi Gras festivities in 1951, but still had several krewes parade on Mardi Gras Day. The 1950's were also a milestone in Mardi Gras history as floats started to be pulled by tractors instead of mules. The late 1960's introduced the Krewe of Bacchus to the Mardi Gras scene,which replaced their traditional ball with a supper where tickets could be purchased. These are all of the things that led us to what we know of today as Mardi Gras,The Largest Free Show in the World.
Mardi Gras is always forty-one days prior to Easter Sunday.
January 6, known as the Twelfth night after Christmas is the day the Mardi Gras season begins.
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People gather for festive twelfth night celebrations all around the world. The Twelfth night is when the coming of the wise men bearing gifts to the Christ Child is celebrated.
Epiphany, Little Christmas, and the Twelfth Night are some of the names used for this celebration.
The baking of a special cake in honor of the three kings. A king cake was one of the most popular customs in this celebration of giving gifts.
Hidden inside the cake was a bean or a plastic baby. The tiny plastic baby represented the Christ Child. The person who received it must portray one of the kings.
It is beleived that the lucky person who gets the baby will have good fortune for a complete year. The lucky person then continues the festivities by having another party or bringing another king cake.
The first cakes were made of a simple ring of dough with little decoration. The New Orleans style king cake is decorated brightly with Mardi Gras colored sugars and icings. Some of the New Orleans style king cakes are made now with fillings of fruit and other tasty ingredients.
The celebration originally took place on January 6, which is the twelfth night, but, now begins on the Twelfth Night after Christmas and continues through Mardi Gras, which is the day before Ash Wednesday. This is when the Lenton season begins. This time is now the entire carnival season.
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