Parades of Mardi Gras, then and now

The many parades of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras season are the highlights of the famed Fat Tuesday celebration.

While origins of Fat Tuesday date back to Medieval Europe, the people of New Orleans have molded the celebration, which has always been an unofficial religious date, into a cultural, reflecting the French, Spanish, Caribbean, and African influences of its people.

The early French settlers brought the concept of masked costume balls from France. The balls quickly merged with local culture, and in a time when people defined themselves strictly by their racial identity, participants drew from their own ethnic and cultural backgrounds to create new traditions.

Pre-Lenten costumes and formal balls in the late 1700s and 1800s became important social occasions where young women were introduced to society and prospective husbands. Today the ball tradition is part of the parade ‘krewes’ — organizations, often secret ones, that hold annual parades and balls.

The number of krewes has exploded over the years and the parades are not limited to Fat Tuesday. In 2022, they began on Thursday, Jan. 6, and continue every weekend through March 1. The Krewe of Joan of Arc kicked off the festivities in the French Quarter on Jan. 6, and the last parades in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday are led off by the Krewe of Zulu at 8 a.m.

The word krewe itself is thought to have originated in the early 19th century with the secret organization Ye Mistick Krewe of Comus, and the archaic spelling of crew has remained. Each krewe has its own traditions, sometimes ancient. The Mystic Krewe of Comus and its Merrie Monarchs of Mirth, the oldest krewe, formed in 1857. It is a secret organization that today holds a ball, but stopped parading in 1991.

In 1872, the new Krewe of Rex came into existence, naming a king and queen of Mardi Gras each year. During this period, torchlit night parades of revelers appeared.

Another popular krewe is Zulu, formed by a group of laborers in 1909. Dressed as tramps with tattered trousers, it encompassed a jubilant singing quartet as part of its show.

Besides parading krewes, there are walking krewes and partying krewes. The three ‘super krewes’ stage massive parades, enormous parties and throw lots of goodies to the crowd.

Krewe membership is usually by invitation and being a member can be costly. Tickets to the most elaborate krewe festivities are governed by tradition. In some cases, ladies who receive tickets must come to the ball in costume and are required to dance with krewe members. Men must come in tuxedos.