By Zeb Hargett                                                                                

Interesting things about Mardi Gras… 

Let’s get this out of the way first: IT STARTED IN MOBILE in 1711 by French settlers. Fifteen years later, the settlers moved to New Orleans and carried the tradition with them.

Now it’s everywhere. Throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, Mardi Gras is a celebration everyone can enjoy. In fact, Mardi Gras masks were originally worn so that people of all classes could mingle freely. The colors of Mardi Gras, purple, green, and gold represent justice, faith, and power, respectively.

Once the exclusive domain of Mobile (first) and New Orleans (second), new social organizations have been popping up all along the Gulf coastal towns, and now you can find a bit of Mardi Gras anywhere you go. People are looking for any excuse to celebrate during the Winter blues and enjoy having a good time. Who can blame them?

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, concludes the last Tuesday, before Lent, leading into Ash Wednesday. However, the season begins weeks ahead. The organizations known as Krewes organize parades and balls and choose a theme, many of which are kept secret until parade time.

Dating back to the English Renaissance period, beads thrown from floats and horses by revelers are believed (okay, we’ll give you this one, New Orleans) to have started when a King threw fake gems and jewels to his subjects, I remember as a kid how excited I was to go to downtown Mobile with my parents to watch parades. We would scramble on the ground for prized throws: multi-colored paper Serpentine, boxes of Cracker Jacks, bean bags, and MoonPies. We knew the best place to watch,  and we would wave and shout, “Throw me something, mister!” Except for MoonPies, those throws aren’t allowed anymore for safety reasons.

As teenagers, we would meet around Bienville Square in Mobile and party with friends. Then, as young adults with children, we began the cycle all over again. I remember floats drawn by mules which were illuminated by flambeaux torches, and carried by walkers alongside.  This was good for crowd control…

The traditions of Mardi Gras have changed little over the years. Many young ladies make their presentations as debutants “ladies in waiting” in one of the many Krewe organizations. There are whole industries dedicated to Mardi Gras like float building, and couture dressmaking that feature long trains embroidered with symbols of their family’s heritage. Selling “Throws” is an industry unto itself. The economic impact of Mardi Gras is tremendous.

You can go big, such as Mobile (first) or New Orleans (second), or choose to go more low-key in new places like Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, or Pensacola. Loxley announced they will host their first (last) Mardi Gras this year, and I just read where Semmes has announced they will have a parade and ball (dead last?) this year.

The County Road 1 parade in Baldwin County near Weeks Bay is a hoot! Dauphin Island has the distinction of hosting the first Mardi Gras parade of the year in Mobile County, Krewe of de la Dauphine last week on February 1.

With a little background, you can begin planning your Mardi Gras activities. This year’s season actually began on January 6, or Twelfth Night, the Christian holy day of the Epiphany, so we are getting into the thick of it already. Parades officially start on Friday, February 14, which is also Valentine’s Day, lest you forget. (Call Jack at Frank & Company Jewelers in Orange Beach to ensure a happy Mardi Gras!)

My research tells me that Mardi Gras is rarely canceled. World wars, pandemics, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans) are the exceptions. This year’s Mardi Gras concludes on Tuesday, March 4, so you have lots of ways to display your revelry! 

Speaking of MoonPies, it is estimated that 500,000 of this Chattanooga Bakery delicacy are thrown into the crowds that surround parade routes each year. Visit Mobile’s Carnival Museum to learn more about Mobile’s 300-year holiday tradition.

Thanks to our friends at WKRG News 5 for the comprehensive parade schedule, Mardi Gras on the Gulf Coast. (Is that the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America? How does that work?)

‍

Here are WKRG.com's Mardi Gras schedules:

Mobile County

Baldwin County

Pensacola, FL

Southeast Mississippi

More links are available here: 

https://www.wkrg.com/mardi-gras/