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| Celebrate like it's Carnival! |
Not many people know that Mobile, Alabama is the birthplace of Mardi Gras. Really! It’s not New Orleans, as you would think. If you paid any attention in history class, you may have learned that Mobile was once the capital of French Louisiana (1702). Catholic French settlers - needing a reason to celebrate - decided surviving their first year in this new, harsh, homeland was a good enough reason, and Mardi Gras was born.
We stopped at the Carnival Museum in Mobile to learn more about the history of Mardi Gras, and were blown away by the rich traditions, the pomp and pageantry, and the sheer expense that goes into these… parties! Planning for the next Mardi Gras begins immediately after one Mardi Gras ends, and beaucoup de dinero goes into the making of the floats, the parties for the coronations of the royalty of the various social organizations (called Mystics in Mobile and Krewes in New Orleans) that participate in Mardi Gras, and especially the royal regalia. Mardi Gras is a really big deal down here in the south! We were told that Mardi Gras is such a big tradition that families will go into debt to participate. Apparently, you have to pay $1000, and sometimes more, just to ride on one of the floats, and that’s just the beginning! If you get to ride on a float, you still have to pay for all the trinkets you toss, like the beads you see hanging around the necks of the people partying in the streets during Mardi Gras.
Crazy, but fun. Too bad we weren’t around for the Big Event. But the museum was almost as much fun, without all the noise and crowds.
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| Mardi Gras royal regalia rivals that of true royalty! |
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| Participant costumes are very elaborate! |
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| Each Mystic has a different float theme every year |
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