All around Louisiana, the people celebrate Mardi Gras in early spring. Urban cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge utilize fancy bright lighted parades, celebrity kings and queens, and shiny beads to celebrate the festivities. Growing up in south Louisiana, I attended many of these parades in the Big Easy. My grandparents would tell stories of rural Mardi Gras and the Cajun culture. After hearing their stories, I decided to attend the Courir de Mardi Gras. The Courir de Mardi Gras is a traditional Mardi Gras event held the Tuesday before the Catholic lent season in small rural towns across southwest Louisiana. This is known as Fat Tuesday run.
We arrived early on a chilly spring morning in the small farm town known as Mamou, Louisiana. …show more content…
The riders wore costumes of bright colored cloth. Similar to the scarecrow in the wizard of oz, the outfits consisted of pieces of cloth sewn into burlap sacks or old shirts and pants. The hats were tall and pointy. They looked like the dunce caps used in school in the past. Most of the riders wore masks. The masks rivaled Halloween masks with skeletons, clowns, and other scary figures. A few riders wore beastly costumes. These beastly costumes were a representation of the Rougaroo. The rougaroo is Louisiana folklore about a beast that was half man and half wolf. The folklore is similar to the werewolf stories. Each costume worn was as unique as the individual wearing …show more content…
All along the route, townspeople waved and cheered as the riders passed. Once the procession arrived back at the American Legion Hall, the ingredients were given to the cooks. The aromatic smells drifted in the air. The holy trinity, as we call it, which consists of onions, bell peppers, and celery, were sautéed down in a gigantic iron pot. The collection of chicken, sausage and other ingredients from the ride was added to the pot. The crowd danced and drank for several hours as they waited for the gumbo to be cooked. Once the gumbo finished cooking, all of the riders and their families lined up to eat. This communal meal reminded me of all of my big family reunions. The food was amazing, as well as the company that shared in partaking this
We arrived early on a chilly spring morning in the small farm town known as Mamou, Louisiana. …show more content…
The riders wore costumes of bright colored cloth. Similar to the scarecrow in the wizard of oz, the outfits consisted of pieces of cloth sewn into burlap sacks or old shirts and pants. The hats were tall and pointy. They looked like the dunce caps used in school in the past. Most of the riders wore masks. The masks rivaled Halloween masks with skeletons, clowns, and other scary figures. A few riders wore beastly costumes. These beastly costumes were a representation of the Rougaroo. The rougaroo is Louisiana folklore about a beast that was half man and half wolf. The folklore is similar to the werewolf stories. Each costume worn was as unique as the individual wearing …show more content…
All along the route, townspeople waved and cheered as the riders passed. Once the procession arrived back at the American Legion Hall, the ingredients were given to the cooks. The aromatic smells drifted in the air. The holy trinity, as we call it, which consists of onions, bell peppers, and celery, were sautéed down in a gigantic iron pot. The collection of chicken, sausage and other ingredients from the ride was added to the pot. The crowd danced and drank for several hours as they waited for the gumbo to be cooked. Once the gumbo finished cooking, all of the riders and their families lined up to eat. This communal meal reminded me of all of my big family reunions. The food was amazing, as well as the company that shared in partaking this