Louisiana's rural Mardi Gras celebrations are very different
Posted Feb 16, 2012 By John M. SmithEMC Lifestyles -In the past, I've talked about Mardi Gras celebrations in Louisiana's urban areas, particularly in New Orleans, the United States' most famous Mardi Gras destination of them all. However, on my return visit to this intriguing state last year, l attended a rural Mardi Grasand it was certainly a contrast.
One of the major differences in the Mardi Gras parades is that the small towns and rural areas tend to be much more family-friendly than, for example, New Orleans' Bourbon Street. You won't find a lot of "flashing" for beads out here, but you'll still hear the familiar cry of "Throw me something, mister," and see lots of beads and other objects being tossed to the crowds assembled along the parade routes. You'll probably find yourself getting "caught up in the moment" and actually trying to catch more of those cheap beads, as I did!
I attended parades in Jennings, Eunice, and Lafayette, and they were all long, colourful parades with several floats and marching bands. You'll find a strong participation from a lot of the locals, but without the organized krewes (clubs) of the larger cities. Some towns, such as Crowley, even have a "Carnival d'Acadie" to commemorate the event.
You have to arrive hours before the parade beginsjust to find a parking place. Also, some of the roads in these towns will be closed for several hours because of the parade, so you don't want to be in a hurry to leave, either. It's just a day for families to be together and enjoy the frivolity.
Lafayette actually had three parades on "Fat Tuesday"and the day began with a "Costume Contest" at King's Court in Parc Sans Souci. I found it rather entertaining to check out some of the crazy outfits that people got themselves into (cross dressers, political figures, monsters, etc.). And after the parades were over, I found a lot of litter, broken and discarded beads, empty bags, candy, etc., along the route, however, the route was all cleaned up by the next morning (with the help of prisoners).
These are all parts of a rural Mardi Gras, indeed, but the strangest, most interesting event I witnessed was the "Courir de Mardi Gras," or "Fat Tuesday Run," at Church Point. This was definitely the highlight of my visit, and I'd certainly recommend checking out this rural tradition!
For this one particular day, before Ash Wednesday, grown men pretend to be someoneor something else. This is a day to be silly and abnormal, and this is encouraged by the use of costumes, capuchons, and masks, and alcohol is often added into the mix, further breaking down inhibitions. The men don their outfits, pointed hats, and masks and sit on a wagon or ride a horseand they spend the day going from house to house and asking for food to add to the evening gumbo. This practice goes back to a time when neighbour might help neighbour by providing some food and hospitality near the end of a long winter, but it has now evolved into one "crazy" day. As the mass of revellers approach each farmhouse, the "Capitain" will ride in and ask permission for all to enter onto the property. Once this permission is given, the riders will enter and dismount, and they'll be joined by a band and those riding on large flatbeds. Then the farmer will throw a live chicken into the airand there'll be a frenzy of activity as all try to be the one to capture that chicken! As the band plays in the yard, the mob will chase that chicken until it's caught, and then another, and so on. When a chicken is caught, the catcher will display it with great pride, and then the entire group will dance in a circle before yet another chicken is released, and then the mad chase begins again.
That caught chicken used to end up in the gumbo served that evening, and the farmer and his family would be invited to attend, too. It was a gathering of the locals for a meal and fellowship together, however, the event has become so large now, with the addition of many tourists and onlookers, that the gumbo is now pre-prepared, so many of these captured chickens are now simply returned to the farmer unscathed. The houses selected along the route are also pre-planned now, so there are no surprises when this mob arrives.
This event usually begins about 8 a.m. and runs to about 3 p.m., so it's a long day of drinking for some of the participantsand some show up already "under the influence"! I saw a large flatbed carrying many cases of beer for the participants, and lineups at the "porta potties." I also saw people who weren't too "steady" on their horses, and others who were attempting to stand on their horseand even dance in the saddle!
I met a participant who proudly claimed to have caught the most chickens for two years in a row, and I witnessed him and his fellow "costumed crazies" sliding through the mud, plunging into drainage ditches, and climbing trees after those chickens and guinea hens!
This procession of horse riders and costumed flatbed participants is followed by several floats and bands, so there's quite a crowd along the route. There are also several people, like me, that are simply walking along the route, to see the actual event and there are TV cameras, too.
Although the run at Church Point was men only, many of the Cajun "Courir de Mardi Gras" are now open to both men and women participants, including the runs in nearby Eunice and Mamou. In Eunice, the tradition is carried on from generation to generation by having a children's event, too, where they get dressed up and chase chickens, and there's then a "Children's Mardi Gras Parade," where they throw beads, etc. to the adults who line the streets to watch.
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