History of Mardi Gras

By Arthur Hardy
"It took the city of New Orleans to transform the centuries-old celebration of Mardi
Gras into America's Greatest Party."
The celebration of Mardi Gras came to North America from Paris, where it had been
celebrated since the Middle Ages. In 1699, French explorer Iberville and his men
explored the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. On a spot 60 miles south of
the present location of New Orleans, they set up camp on the river's West Bank.
Knowing that the day, March 3, was being celebrated as a major holiday in France,
they christened the site Point du Mardi Gras.

But Mardi Gras' roots predate the French. Many see a relationship to the ancient
tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring. A possible ancestor of
the celebration was the Lupercalia, a circus-like orgy held in mid-February in
Rome. The early Church fathers, realizing that it was impossible to divorce their
new converts from their pagan customs, decided instead to direct them into
Christian channels. Thus Carnival was created as a period of merriment that would
serve as a prelude to the penitential season of Lent.
In the late 1700s pre-Lenten balls and fetes were held in New Orleans. Under
French rule masked ballsflourished, but were later banned by the Spanish
governors. The prohibition continued when New Orleans became an American city
in 1803, but by 1823, the Creole populace prevailed upon the American governor,
and balls were again permitted. Four years later street masking was legalized.
In the early 19th Century, the public celebration of Mardi Gras consisted mainly of
maskers on foot, in carriages and on horseback. In 1837, a costumed group of
revelers walked in the first documented "parade," but the violent behavior of
maskers during the next two decades caused the press to call for an end to Mardi
Gras. Fortunately, six New Orleanians who were former members of the
Cowbellians, (a group that had presented New Year's Eve parades in Mobile since
1831), saved the New Orleans Mardi Gras by forming the Comus organization in
1857. The men beautified the celebration and proved that it could be enjoyed in a
safe and festive manner. Comus coined the word "krewe" and established several
Mardi Gras traditions by forming a secret Carnival society, choosing a
mythological namesake, presenting a themed parade with floats and costumed
maskers, and staging a tableau ball.
A visit by the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff was the partial inspiration for
the first appearance of Rex in 1872. The King of Carnival immediately became the
international symbol of Mardi Gras. Rex presented Mardi Gras' first organized
daytime parade, selected Carnival's colors--purple, gold and green, produced its
flag, and introduced its anthem, "If Ever I Cease To Love." In 1872, the Knights of
Momus also entered the Carnival scene.
The popular Krewe of Proteus debuted in 1882 with a glittering parade that
saluted Egyptian Mythology. The Jefferson City Buzzards, the grandfather of all
marching clubs, was formed in 1890. The first black Mardi Gras organization, the
Original Illinois Club, was launched in 1894. Two years later, Les Mysterieuses,
Carnival's first female group, was founded.
The final year of the Century saw snow in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday. Legend
has it that Rex paraded with a frozen mustache!
One of the first and most beloved krewes to make its appearance in the 20th
Century was Zulu. Seven years before its incorporation in 1916, this black
organization poked fun at Rex. The first Zulu King ruled with a banana stalk
scepter and a lard can crown. While Rexentered the city via a Mississippi River
steamboat,Zulu used an oyster lugger to plow up the New Basin Canal.
The new Century brought with it some difficult years. World War I canceled
Carnival in 1918-1919, but Mardi Gras survived this struggle, along with the
Prohibition of the Twenties and the Great Depression of the Thirties.
In 1934 Carnival festivities hit the West Bank of the Mississippi with the first Alla
parade. Random truck riders were organized into the Elks Krewe of Orleanians in
1935. The Krewe of Hermes and the Knights of Babylon were organized in 1937
and 1939, respectively.
In the Forties a new spirit of Mardi Gras was ushered in, pausing only for the
United States' involvement overseas. Before World War II canceled four Carnivals,
the first women's parade graced the streets of New Orleans with the Krewe of
Venus' inaugural pageant in 1941. New Orleans' favorite son, Louis Armstrong,
returned home to ride as King of the Zulu parade in 1949.
The Fifties provided international publicity and continued expansion of Mardi Gras.
Real royalty, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, honored the make-believe
Monarchs of Merriment as they bowed to Rex and Comus at the 1950 Comus ball.
The next year the Korean conflict canceled much of Carnival, but several krewes
combined to form the Krewe of Patria, which paraded on Fat Tuesday. The decade
also saw the formation of other krewes, including Zeus, the first suburban krewe,
which paraded in Metairie.
The Sixties were characterized by turbulence and change. The early years saw the
Tourist Commission try to convince the hippies that the title "Greatest Free Show
on Earth" was not to be taken literally. The Easy Rider generation had City Hall
worried, and rumors that the infamous Hell's Angels were going to roll into town
and crash Carnival had the entire town uptight. Nothing negative happened, and
Carnival continued.
Thinking that the group's antics were undignified, portions of the black community
put pressure on Zulu. The king resigned and the 1961 parade was almost
canceled. Not only did Zulu survive, however, but by 1969, its parade was a main
attraction on Canal Street.
Finally, just as the decade began with the historic introduction of the Rex
doubloon, so did the period end with another landmark event--the start of the
Bacchusorganization. The krewe's founders, feeling that the traditional Mardi Gras
institutions had become static, wanted to attract national attention and make
Carnival more accessible. In 1969, Bacchus shook the establishment by
presenting the largest floats in Carnival history, by having a Hollywood celebrity
ride as its king (Danny Kaye), and by presenting, in place of the traditional ball, a
supper dance to which tickets could be purchased by both visitors and locals.
These revolutionary innovations proved immensely popular and were to be copied
by several future organizations.
Carnival's growth continued throughout the Seventies with the birth of 18 new
parading krewes, and ironically, the death of 18 others. More than one dozen
clubs featured celebrities in their parades. Argus brought a Fat Tuesday parade to
Metairie, and Endymion exploded into a super krewe in 1974. A ban on parading
through the French Quarter ended a 117-year tradition and a moratorium of new
parade permits put a cap on expansion in Orleans Parish. The decade ended with
a police strike in New Orleans, causing the cancellation of Mardi Grasparades in
Orleans Parish.
 The decade of the 1980s saw 28 new parades debut and 17 fold. The Mardi Gras
parade calendar shrank drastically in St. Bernard Parish, while in St. Tammany
and Jefferson Parishes, Carnival continued to grow. By 1989, more than 600,000
people annually attended parades on the east and west banks of Jefferson Parish
on Fat Tuesday.
Feeling the need for better safety measures and more coordination of Carnival
activities, the Mayor of New Orleans formed a Mardi Gras Task Force to study all
aspects of the celebration. In 1987, Rex resurrected "Lundi Gras," its customary
Monday arrival on the Mississippi River which the krewe had enjoyed from 1874-
1917. The traditional tableau ball, once an essential activity for all parading
krewes, lost its popularity, with only about 10 of the 50-plus krewes still retaining
a bal masque format by the decade's end.
Doubloons lost some of their luster as several krewes stopped minting them.
Krewe-emblemed throws of every imaginable variety gained popularity, however,
with imprinted cups leading the pack.

Perhaps the greatest change in Mardi Gras in the 1980s was the tremendous
increase in tourism during the Carnival season. Conventions which once had
avoided New Orleans at Mardi Gras used the celebration as a reason to visit.
International media attention was focused on Mardi Gras in the late 1980s, with
camera crews from Japan, Europe and Latin America showcasing the festivities.
Mardi Gras also became a year-round industry as more off-season conventions
experienced the joys of Carnival when they were treated to mini-parades and
repeat balls held in the city's convention facilities year-round.
Scholars may one day record the decade of the Nineties as a pivotal one in
Carnival history. While an in-depth economic impact study revealed that Mardi
Gras' annual economic impact finally surpassed the half-billion dollar mark,
political intervention decreased the size and scope of the celebration. Shortly
before the 1992 season, a New Orleans city ordinance was enacted that required
all parading krewes to open their private membership. Comus, Momus and
Proteus protested the government's intrusion into their affairs and canceled their
parades in protest, while Rex opened it membership to blacks.

Tableaux Societies
Twelfth Night, the feast of Epiphany, was celebrated by Creole society from the
early days of colonial Louisiana. These Bals de Roi (the King’s Ball) were given at
plantations and homes for family and friends; the highlight was the cutting of the
King Cake (Gateau des Rois), and the finder of the bean—la feve—in his or her cake
became Le Roi or La Reine de la feve, and would reign over the next ball, which
they were to host. Thus a series of balls began each season and continued until the
final great ball of Mardi Gras evening. These traditions were formalized with the
organization and first appearance of the Twelfth Night Revelers on January 6, 1870.

During the first six years, the ball of Twelfth Night Revelers was preceded by a
pageant through the streets of New Orleans, with small floats, brass bands,
torches, and a host of Revelers marching inside large papier-mâché forms.
Following their last parade in 1876, Twelfth Night Revelers (T.N.R.) became the
first Carnival society whose activities were limited to the staging of tableaux balls,
but it was the Twelfth Night ball of 1871 that inaugurated a custom that was to
become one of the enduring and most emulated traditions of the festival—the
selection of a queen. An enormous Twelfth Night Cake was cut, and its slices
distributed by the Revelers to unmarried young ladies; whoever found the gold
bean (a bean-shaped locket) was named queen.
At their first ball in 1870, court fools and jesters had made a clumsy show of
serving cake on their spears, and the finder of the gold bean chose not to
acknowledge her good fortune. However, the following year, the Lord of Misrule
knew which slice contained the bean, and when he saw the young lady receive it,
strode to her, and before the assembled guests, crowned her with a wreath of oak
leaves, proclaiming her “Queen of the Ball.” In subsequent years, ladies who
found silver beans in their cake became maids of honor.
Twelfth Night Revelers survived several seasons of inactivity and reorganization
during the 1880s, each time returning to open Carnival festivities on January 6. In
the years of the “Belle Epoque,” several new societies were created to satisfy the
New Orleans passions for masked balls and dance—The Atlanteans (1891), Elves
of Oberon (1895), Krewe of Nereus (1896), and the High Priests of Mithras (1897).
The great masquerade balls of earlier years were staged in the richly decorated
rooms of the city’s grand hotels, The St. Louis and the St. Charles, and public
masked balls continued in theaters, ballrooms, and halls of numerous civic and
social organizations. The tableaux balls of the krewes, which all came to be called
“Carnival Balls,” were presented on the elegant stages of the Varieties Theater,
the Grand, or New Opera houses. After the Varieties and the Grand were
destroyed by fire, almost all of the Carnival balls were staged at the New Opera,
which after 1880 became known as the French Opera House.
All of the Carnival balls were similar in structure and ritual. A number of tableaux
were performed, with beautifully scenic decors and colorfully costumed and
masked krewes illustrating each year’s theme. The last tableaux incorporated a
throne setting where the monarchs and court of the evening were presented with
pomp and solemnity, in a triumphant grand march, to be greeted with the wonder,
adulation, and applause of the entire assembly, krewe and guests alike. Then
came dancing, with the first quadrilles reserved for krewe members, followed by
general dancing, which lasted until the early hours of the morning.
It was during the early dances that members dispensed the lovely little pins now
known as “krewe favors” to their lucky partners. These charming favors were
elegantly crafted of sterling and enamel, and like the lavish invitations of the era,
they reflected the theme of the ball. The date and letters representing the krewe’s
initials were often incorporated into the favor’s design.
The royal courts were the central figures of the evening, but the extravagant
tableaux were also designed to delight two thousand guests. The new societies of
the 1890s and early 1900s turned for inspiration to themes long favored by
Comus—mythology, literature, history, and nature—and while the processions
rolled with their panoply of effects, the tableaux balls drew upon a gilded age of
stagecraft.
The first Atlantean ball paid tribute to their ruler, Poseidon, then reenacted “The
Destruction of Atlantis.” The Elves of Oberon, the High Priests of Mithras, and the
Krewe of Nereus transformed the stages of the French Opera House into a
succession of fanciful kingdoms. Oberon’s first ball featured two tableaux from “A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Subsequent efforts revealed a taste for whimsy: “A Rhineland Fantasy” (1897),
“The Rainbow” (1898), “Cupid on Vacation” (1902), “When Folly Rules” (1903),
and “Satan Dethroned” (1912), with the Devil himself as the krewe favor. Nereus,
in his 1897 production of “Coral Groves and Grottoes,” unleashed a huge kraken
that was one hundred feet long, supported by fifteen men, and belched fire as it
writhed across the floor of underwater caverns.
The first two Mithras balls turned to Persian themes—“Prince Ahmed and the Fairy
Banou” (1897) and “Mithras, God of the Sun” (1898). Fire broke out in the stage
decorations of the latter, and while the flames were readily extinguished, many of
the guests fled in panic. But dozens of others remained and danced for hours
around the pool of water the stage had become.
The Golden Age of Carnival marched into the twentieth century with the creation
of three new societies, all of them in the established manner: The Olympians
(1904), the Krewe of Athenians (1912), and the Krewe of Osiris (1916). At the
Twelfth Night ball of 1904, the Revelers made gifts of one of their loveliest favors,
an enameled pin of Harlequin. Nereus presented “A Christmas Party” in 1912 and
Santa Claus called the call-outs to the stage, giving each lady an envelope
containing the number of her masker for the first dance.

To comprehend the magnitude of the New Orleans devotion to the pleasures of

Carnival and the tableaux balls of the “Golden Age,” one must survey the large
number of societies that blossomed, flourished, and then vanished. A few of these
krewes—Disciples of Thespis, Phunny Phorty Phellows, Independent Order of the
Moon, and Mistick Merrie Bellions—presented humorous and satirical parades that
were as beloved as the lofty artistic processions of Comus, Rex, Momus, and
Proteus. But a larger number of these lost societies limited their activities to balls
at the French Opera House, Odd Fellows Hall, Werlein Hall, St. Charles Theater,
Grunewald Hall, and the Athenaeum. Among these deceased orders we find: The
Growlers, Harmony Club, Les Mysterieuses, Consus, Young Men’s Hebrew
Association, The Falstaffians, The Mystic Maids, The Mittens, Amphictyons, Krewe
of Yami, Krewe of Nippon, The Follies, and Carnival Revelers.
None was more brilliant than Consus, who brought the first of his spectacular
productions to the French Opera House in 1897, launching a brief, ten-year reign
of displays never surpassed in lavishness, invention, or detail. In 1898, Consus
presented “The Meeting of King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France
on the Field of the Cloth of Gold.” The Picayune described the incredible scene:
It is probable that glass had never before been used on so lavish a scale for the
purpose of the decorator. The pattern on either side was of blue, amber, and opal
glass, set alternately, the top and bases handsomely inlaid after a lotus leaf
pattern. The semi-circle was composed of beveled plate glass . . . frosted, set in a
diamond pattern, the intersections marked by imported cut-glass jewels. The front
of each of the lower galleries, all the way to the horseshoe, was draped in cloth of
gold. High in the center of the theater’s dome was a golden spider web, from
which long filaments reached the galleries. The paradis was decorated in sky-blue
silks, studded with silver fleurs-de-lys, supported by silver headed spears.
In 1900, Consus presented “The House Boat on the Styx.” The cast entered to the
dirge of Chopin’s Funeral March, and proceeded to a banquet hall with jewel-
encrusted walls. At his final ball in 1906, Consus transported his guests to “The
Land of Frontinback and Upindown,” where his ingenious design populated the
stage with reversals of nature. Forests and fields grew downward behind the
proscenium arch, while clouds and sky were underfoot. The men and women of
Frontinback were also reversed in their movements, walking and dancing
backward. To achieve these effects, Consus used double masks for his cast—the
face on the mask covered the back of the wearer’s head, while the back of the
mask’s head concealed the face of the krewe member. Costumes lent the same
illusion, with buttoned-over false fronts and generous padding to mimic
anatomical curves.
As the tableaux were performed, the effects were stunningly original, but his
cleverness had overlooked one thing—the appearance his krewe would present to
their partners when they danced. Ladies found themselves embracing their
partners’ backs, a discourtesy that was all illusion. But this illusion was so well
crafted that many of the ladies were deeply offended, and a flood of resignations
quickly reduced the famous society to a memory.
 With the entry of the United States into World War I, all Carnival balls and parades
were canceled. In the year 1919, none of the society krewes appeared with balls
or parades, but a number of masquerades were held and numerous maskers
appeared on the streets for Mardi Gras. Throughout 1919, preparations for Mardi
Gras of 1920 were underway when, only weeks before Twelfth Night and the
opening of the Carnival season, the French Opera House was destroyed by fire. At
about 3:00 a.m. on the morning of December 4 the fire broke out, most likely in
the Café de l’Opera, and within hours the Palace of Carnival was reduced to
rubble. The French ambassador to the United States wired his condolence to the
French consul general in New Orleans, deploring this loss of the symbol of Creole
culture. On the following day, Lyle Saxon wrote in the Times-Picayune:
Gone, all gone. The curtain has fallen for the last time upon “Les Huguenots,” long
a favorite of the New Orleans public. The opera house has gone in a blaze of
horror and glory. There is a pall over the city; eyes are filled with tears and hearts
are heavy. Old memories, tucked away in the dusty cobwebs of forgotten years,
have come out like ghosts to dance in the last, ghastly Walpurgis ballet of flame . .
. the heart of the old French Quarter has stopped beating.
From Mardi Gras Treasures: Jewelry of the Golden Age by Henri Schindler, ©2006
used by permission of the publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. To
purchase a copy, visitwww.pelicanpub.com or call 1-800-843-1724.

The Flambeaux Tradition

Lighting up the sky with heavy blazing torches, the flambeaux carrier originally
served as a beacon for parade-goers to better enjoy the spectacle of night
festivities. The flambeaux carriers were originally slaves and free men of color
parading, twirling and fooling around in robes. Initially, the flambeaux were
established by the old-line Carnival organization Comus, which sought to make
“new people and customs the salvation of Mardi Gras.” The sight of African-
Americans lighting the way of the elaborate floats was unforgettable.
Crowds tossed coins to slaves and free men of color trying to earn money for their
task of lighting the way for the floats - a custom that continues today. Now,
incorporated in modern processionals, the torchbearers are not only a historic
footnote, but serve as a world-class example of performance art. The torches may
 be lighter and use butane or kerosene, but the entertaining exchange between
the crowd and the flambeaux is a rich Carnival tradition.

Zulu
By Arthur Hardy, Clarence A. Becnell, Tom Price,
Don Short, Mirt Williams and Edward Sims

One of the season’s most anticipated and remarkable parades is presented by

Zulu, named after the fiercest of the African tribes. Seven years before the black
krewe’s 1916 incorporation, the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s first King,
William Story, spoofed Rex by wearing a lard can crown and by ruling with a
banana stalk scepter. The most famous Krewe of Zulu king was Louis Armstrong,
who ruled in 1949. Zulu’s honor guard is called the Soulful Warriors, and they,
along with Big Shot, Witch Doctor, Ambassador, Mayor, Province Prince, Governor
and Mr. Big Stuff, all liven-up the Fat Tuesday crowd.
Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club

King Zulu, 2001

Queen Zulu, 2001

Mardi Gras' most coveted souvenir: a Zulu coconut

Early in 1909, a group of laborers, who had organized a club named "The Tramps,"
went to the Pythian Temple Theater to see a musical comedy performed by the
Smart Set. The comedy included a skit entitled "There Never Was and Never Will
Be a King Like Me," about the Zulu Tribe. That is how the Zulus began, as many
stories go. Years of extensive research by the Historian Committee seem to
indicate that Zulu's beginning was much more complicated than that.
The earliest signs of organization came from the fact that most of these men
belonged to a benevolent aid society. Benevolent societies were the first forms of
insurance in the community, where for a small amount of dues, members received
financial help when sick or burying deceased members. Conversations with older
members also indicated that in that era each of the city's wards had its own group
or "club." The Tramps were one such group. After seeing the skit, they retired to
their meeting place, a room in the rear of a restaurant/bar in the 1100 block of
Perdido Street, and emerged as the Zulus. The group was probably made up of
members from the Tramps, the Benevolent Society and other ward-based groups.
While the "group" marched in Mardi Gras as early as 1901, their first appearance
as the Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as king. The group wore raggedy
pants and had a Jubilee singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His
costume of "lard can" crown and "banana stalk" scepter has been well
documented.
The kings following William Story (William Crawford -1910, Peter Williams 1912,
and Henry Harris-1914) were similarly attired. 1915 heralded the first use of
floats, constructed on a spring wagon, using dry goods boxes. The float was
decorated with palmetto leaves and moss and carried four dukes along with the
king. That humble beginning gave rise to the lavish floats we see in the Zulu
parade today.
On September 20, 1916, in the notarial office of Gabriel Fernandez, the Zulu
Social Aid Club was incorporated. Twenty-two of the organization's officers and
members signed that first official document.
It's been written that the early Zulus were a parody on the staid white celebration
of Mardi Gras. Whether true or not, the Zulus did march to their own drum beat.
Originally, they had members dress as females to serve as queen; later, female
impersonators "reigned" as queens; finally hey began having women as queens.
Their queens were, and still are, toasted in front of Geddes, Moss and Willis
Funeral Home. There was no macabre intent meant by this tradition. The Geddes,
Moss and Willis Funeral Home played an integral part in Zulu's beginning and has
continued to do so throughout the years.
Zulus were not without their controversies either. In the 1960s during the height
of black awareness, it was unpopular to be a Zulu. Dressing in a grass skirt and
putting on a black face were seen as demeaning. Large numbers of black
organizations protested against Zulu and membership dwindled to approximately
16 men. James Russel, a longtime member, served as president in this period and
is credited with holding the group together and slowly bringing Zulu back to the
forefront.
In 1968, Zulu's route took them to St. Charles and Canal Streets for the first time
in the modern era. Heretofore, to see the Zulu parade, you had to travel the so-
called "back streets" of the black neighborhoods. The segregation laws of the
period contributed to this, and Zulu tradition also played a part. In those days,
neighborhood bars sponsored certain floats and, consequently, the floats were
obligated to pass those bars. Passing meant stopping, as the bard advertised that
the "Zulus will stop here." Once stopped at a sponsoring bars, it was often difficult
to get the riders out of the establishment, so the other floats took off in different
directions to fulfill their obligations.
Of all the throws to rain down from the many floats in the parades during Carnival,
the Zulu coconut or "golden nugget" is the most sought after. The earliest
reference to the coconut appears to be about 1910 when the coconuts were given
from the floats in their natural "hairy" state. Some years later there is a reference
to Lucas, "the sign painter," scraping and painting the coconuts. This, in all
likelihood was the forerunner to the beautifully decorated coconuts we see today.
Just as everything else in Zulu history, the coconut is not without controversy.
With the proliferation of law suits from people alleging injury from thrown
coconuts, the organization was unable to get insurance coverage in 1987. So that
 year, the time honored tradition was suspended. After much lobbying, the
Louisiana Legislature passed B188, aptly dubbed the "coconut bill," which
excluded the coconut from liability for alleged injuries arising from the coconuts
handed from the floats. On July 8, 1988, then governor Edwards signed the bill
into law.
Through the adversity, the Zulu organization has persevered. It has risen to the
point of being not only the premier black social organization, but is known
internationally as one of the major Carnival organizations. Zulu also integrates
itself into the community, from adopting public schools and providing scholarships
for Southern University to providing food baskets to needy families during the
holiday seasons.
Researched and compiled by the Historian Committee: Clarence A. Becnell, Tom
Price, Don Short, Mirt Williams and Edward Sims. Originally printed in The Soul of
New Orleans.
Rex
By Arthur Hardy & The Rex Organization

Rex has been the global symbol of New Orleans’ most famous holiday since his
first appearance in 1872. The all-male krewe is responsible for the concept of day
parades, for the official Mardi Gras flag and colors – green for faith, gold for
power, purple for justice – and for the anthem of Carnival, “If I Ever Cease to
Love,” as well as for one of the most popular throws, the doubloon. Sponsored by
the School of Design, the 600 men of Rex Operate Pro Bono Publico – For The
Public Good. Rex selects an outstanding civic leader to reign over Mardi Gras, and
his queen is always a debutante.
Rex History and Traditions
Rex Greets His Subjects

A Lieutenant
The Rex Court Consists Of Rex, His Queen, Eight Maids And Eight Dukes

A Rex From the Past

A Proclamation Declaring The Date Of The Carnival Celebration

The Colors Shown the Rex Flag Have Been Adopted as the Official Colors of Mardi
Gras

A Rex Doubloon

Rex has reigned as King of Carnival since he first appeared on Mardi Gras in 1872.
Seven generations of New Orleanians and millions of visitors have hailed his
majesty and reveled in the glorious traditions of his rule – including the jewel in
Rex’s crown: his annual glittering procession of floats on Mardi Gras morning, led
by his captain and lieutenants on horseback.
Rex entered the picture in 1872. New Orleans was struggling to recover from the
lingering effects of the civil war, and divisions and isolation prevailed. At the same
time, many city leaders saw the need to bring some order to the chaotic street
parades of Mardi Gras day. The news that Russia's Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff
would visit Mardi Gras and New Orleans provided another impetus to add order
and brilliance to the day. This portrait shows the Grand Duke as a dashing young
man, about the time he made his visit to New Orleans.
The group of young men who founded the Rex Organization hoped not only to
entertain the Grand Duke, but also to create a daytime parade that would be
attractive and fun for the citizens of the city and their guests. True to the Rex
motto, "Pro Bono Publico—for the public good," they succeeded beyond their
hopes. They selected one of their members, Lewis J. Solomon, to be the first Rex,
King of Carnival. Before he could begin his reign he had to borrow a crown,
scepter, and costume from an actor who happened to be performing in town at
the time.
The first Rex Parade bore little resemblance to the Rex Processions of later years.
Rex rode a horse, not a float. The parade that followed was made up largely of the
informal maskers and marchers who were on the streets anyway. The 1873 Rex
Procession was better organized and far more grand, beginning a long tradition of
colorful and creative parades illustrating a theme selected from the worlds of
literature or mythology.
In 1873 Rex held its first ball, and selected the first Queen of Carnival. Carnival
balls traditionally were formal and very private affairs, with elegant decorations,
 tableaux presentations, and with dancing limited to the masked and costumed
members and their guests.
The Rex Ball, in keeping with the organization's more public role, was not a
masked ball, but rather a formal presentation of Carnival Royalty, followed by
grand marches and general dancing. This tradition continues to this day.
Elaborate ball invitations were created each year, and have become sought-after
and valuable remembrances, another tradition that continues today.
The royal colors of purple, green, and gold have been used since Rex's founding,
but the original symbolism intended was never made clear. It would make sense
that purple, associated with royalty, and gold, the metal of choice for crowns and
scepters, would be chosen, and various rules of heraldry may have been applied.
The 1892 Rex Parade's theme, "The Symbolism of Colors," suggested that purple,
green, and gold symbolized justice, faith, and power, respectively. The Rex flag
displays these colors, arrayed diagonally, with a crown in the center field, and is
flown during Carnival season at the homes of past Kings and Queens of Carnival.
Other traditions developed, including Rex's arrival in his Kingdom by boat on the
Monday before Mardi Gras. Accompanied by costumed officials, Rex would step
grandly from his decorated ship to be conveyed in a grand carriage to City Hall.
There city leaders surrendered the keys of the city to the new sovereign of this
fanciful and temporary realm.
Rex's reign as "King of Carnival" had begun. The Rex Organization, incorporated
as "The School of Design," went to work to achieve the twin goals of presenting a
grand daytime procession as the highlight of Mardi Gras day, and to encourage
visitors to come to New Orleans to enjoy the celebration. In subsequent years, and
to this day, Rex has issued his Official Proclamation of Carnival, and invited his
subjects to gather in his "Capital City" to celebrate.
Rex's proclamations and invitations found their way to railroad stations and other
public places in faraway cities, and had the desired effect. Mardi Gras in New
Orleans helped to heal and strengthen the city almost a century and a half ago,
and continues to be a major component of New Orleans' economy.
Visitors have come to New Orleans and enjoyed Mardi Gras year after year, and
many new parading organizations have taken to the streets in a Carnival season
that now stretches over two weeks. But the culmination of the celebration is still
Mardi Gras day, when Rex climbs onto his float and greets his subjects as his
Procession passes through the streets of his kingdom.

Mardi Gras Indians

Tracing their roots back to a time when American Indians helped shield runaway
slaves, the Mardi Gras Indians are among the most colorful and mysterious of New
Orleans' cultural phenomena. Finding it difficult to participate in Mardi Gras
“krewes,” early African Americans developed their own way of celebrating by
organizing Mardi Gras Indian tribes as krewes. Today, Mardi Gras Indians shine at
every opportunity by showcasing their spectacular hand-made costume, lovely
song and contagious spirit. Watch them parade and perform at several events
including Jazz Fest, “Super Sunday” the Sunday after St. Joseph’s Day or come
during Mardi Gras season when their celebratory spirits shine most – you can’t
leave New Orleans without having joined in this truly unique tradition!
Where to Spot Mardi Gras Indians
Mardi Gras Day, of course, is the main day to find Indians as they bloom with the
season’s celebrations, but other times they can be hard to track down. “Super
Sunday,” the Sunday after St. Joseph’s Day, (March 19) is also a day that several
Mardi Gras Indian tribes parade. Other good places to catch tribe gatherings
include the banks of the Bayou St. John at Orleans Avenue in Mid-City, Taylor Park
uptown on “Super Sunday,” the corner of Washington Avenue and LaSalle Street
uptown; the intersection of Orleans and North Claiborne Avenues, near Armstrong
Park; at Hunter's Field at the corner of North Claiborne and St. Bernard Avenues,
or at the Backstreet Cultural Museum, where the history and costumes are on
display at 1116 St. Claude Street, in the heart of the historic Tremé neighborhood.
It is also recommended to ask a knowledgeable local or check the local newspaper
as impromptu celebrations are very common.
Origins of the Mardi Gras Indians
The origins of the Mardi Gras Indians are murky, but Chief Becate of the Creole
Wild West tribe is considered a progenitor for masking as an Indian during a Mardi
Gras in the 1880s, and others then copying him. Scholars also credit the Native
Americans who came to perform in New Orleans with the Buffalo Bill Wild West
Show in 1884 for giving locals inspiration. Others believe that a connection
between blacks and Native Americans was forged when New Orleans escaped
 slaves found asylum with Louisiana tribes. Indeed, Chief Becate is thought to have
been part Native American.
Mardi Gras Indian Costumes
No one in the city dons more elaborate attire or takes costuming more seriously
than Mardi Gras Indians do. Their fantastic costumes are unforgettable hand-sewn
creations of intricate beadwork and dramatic images which rank among the
nation's best folk art. Worn just once, the costumes take an entire year to create,
with hundreds of thousands of beads, brightly dyed ostrich plumes, sequins,
velvet and rhinestones sewn on by hand – some weighing as much as 150
pounds!
Mardi Gras Indian Music
Music, typically call-and-response chanting with tambourines and other handheld
percussion, plays a central role in the Mardi Gras Indian spectacle, but the
members of a few tribes—the Wild Magnolias and the Wild Tchoupitoulas in
particular—have released critically acclaimed recordings and many times perform
professionally with a full band.
Mardi Gras Indian music has also permeated into New Orleans funk, soul and R&B.
The famous New Orleans tune “Iko Iko” with the lyrics, “My flag boy and your flag
boy, sitting by the fire,” is rooted in Mardi Gras Indian tradition as is the New
Orleans standard “Hey Pocky Way.”
Mardi Gras Indian Tribes
There are more than 50 Indian tribes in the city and each march to the beat of
their own drummer, literally. With a formal hierarchy of chiefs, spy boys, flag
boys, big chiefs, wild men and other unique monikers, the Indians grace the
streets of New Orleans’ neighborhoods in friendly competition over which chief is
the “prettiest.” With boastful singing and threatening dances and gestures, on
Mardi Gras Day the tribes go out seeking other tribes to do “battle” with. In earlier
days, a meeting of tribes often turned violent, and few others would dare to be
present. Now, plenty of spectators come out to watch Indian tribes who compete
by costume and song one-upmanship. Indians are organized into roughly three
dozen tribes with names like the Golden Eagles, the Flaming Arrows, the Yellow
Pocahontas, and the Bayou Renegades.
King Cakes
One of the most popular foods during Mardi Gras is the king cake, consumed by
the carload and traditionally sold in bakeries, grocery stores and delis from
January 6 to Ash Wednesday. Locals and visitors alike eat king cake for
breakfast, coffee break, and dessert. In fact, almost any excuse to grab a slice
will do.
The tradition of king cake dates back to the Middle Ages when a popular
devotion during Christmas was placed on the Three Wise Men (or Kings) who
followed the North Star to find Christ. The twelfth night after the birth of Christ
marks the end of Christmas and the celebration of Epiphany. Thus, Twelfth
Night in some cultures became a time for pageants and giving special presents
to children. Along with gifts came the celebratory cake, or king cake.
Today's king cake is a confection made of braided Danish pastry, laced with
cinnamon. It is always iced in the Mardi Gras colors of purple (justice), green
(faith) and gold (power). Hidden in each king cake is a tiny plastic baby. The
person who finds the baby must buy the next king cake or host the next party.
Contemporary king cakes are often filled with cream cheese, fruit fillings, such as
apple or strawberry, and other fillings.