Members of each krewe have assessed fees for the parades and/or balls. It can range from thousands of dollars to just $20.00 each for a member, depending on the krewe. Each Mardi Gras Parade Krewe has had a unique history and theme, sometimes decades old and others just a few years old.
Examples of some of the names: Krewe of Zulu, Krewe of Rex, both of which we saw! Others were Krewe of Ancient Druids, Knights of Babylon, Mardi Gras Indians, Knights of Chaos, Krewe of Delusion, Knights of Sports. We couldn't believe just how many parades were going on for two full weeks. Some of them have celebrity guests and other special guests on the floats. Many of them with the bright colors of purple, gold, and green. As I researched Mardi Gras parades, I actually counted 45 different parades!The bands are magnificent too, even the Marine Corps band were jazzing it by dancing!
That's not all folks.....then there are the Balls! When most people during Mardi Gras think about parades, the King and Queen of Mardi Gras, who are elected, are thinking about the big spectacular ball! Their identities are a closely guarded secret as part of the mystique until the night of the Ball! Most of the balls are a formal and private affair for the Krewe. Debutantes for the Rex and Zulu balls receive a formal introduction into society. The children serve as pages. Women dress in ball gowns and hope to be issued a "call out card". This card designates the person in a mask who they will dance with the entire evening. It is a night of dining and dancing! What a dream! Some folks aren't invited and these have even included governors over the years! The Invitations are collector items. A Coast Guard Boat royally brings the Kings and the Queens of both the Rex and the Zulu parades to begin the Mardi Gras Celebration! (Seen on the News only)
I read the Society page of the paper that week! It was unbelievable the names of each and every debutante and her parents, all each having at least 3 names, not to mention the history of the Queen and King and the descriptions of their attire! The entire court is presented and the costuming is awesome (well I saw it on the News of course)! Ty and I didn't have a formal invitation to any of the balls! We did speak to a lady at the Zulu parade and she said it is quite special to see all of the attire of the court and the others who attend!
This history of the Krewe of Zulu from Wikipedia: Early in l909, a group of laborers who had organized a club named "The Tramps" went to the Pythian Theater to see a music 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.This is how the Zulu began as many stories go: Years of extensive research by Zulu's historian staff seem to indicate that Zulu's beginning was much more complicated than that. The earliest signs of the organization came from the fact that the majority of these men belonged to the Benevolent Aid Society. The Benevolent Societies were the first forms of institutions in the black communities where, for a small amount of dues, members would help when sick or financial aid was needed and also for burying deceased members.
While the "Group" marched in Mardi Gras as early as l901, their first appearance as Zulus came in l909, with the William Story as King. The group wore raggedy pants and had a jubilee singing quartet in front of and behind the King Story. His costume of a "lard can" and a "banana stalk" for a scepter has been well documented. The Kings, following William Story, were similarly attired. In l915, heralded the first use of floats constructed on spring wagons, using dry good boxes decorated with palmetto leaves and moss with the four Dukes and the King riding on them. These led to the lavish floats in the Zulu Parades today! A very interesting history! The people had black painted faces with white circles around their eyes! It was an amazing parade!
The Rex Parade's History: Rex was founded in l872 in New Orleans Carnival Krewe which stages the city's most celebrated parades. This first parade was to honor the visit of the Grand Duke of Russia and promote tourism after the American Civil War.
Rex (in Latin, meaning King in English) is always a prominent person in the city, one who is usually involved in several philanthropic and civil causes. It is the highest honor a person can receive in New Orleans. The appointed Rex is given a key to the city of New Orleans. The Queen of the Carnival is always the Debutante chosen from the current season. The Krewe of Zulu and the Krewe of Rex both appoint a King and Queen!
Thoughts Ty: While sitting at the Krewe of Zulu parade I met a black lady, my age, a New Orleans native named JoAnn. She explained about the early Zulu parades in her neighborhoods during childhood. We also talked about racism. This made me recall my first racism experience in the 1950's, while on a vacation with my parents to New Orleans. I saw for the first time signs over the water fountains on public buildings that said "White Only" or "Colored Only". Very alarming to a ten year old from a town with one black family in the entire school system. JoAnn, during this same decade at about ten years old , was experiencing it: as she was boarding a public bus and sat next to a white lady. The lady immediately left her seat after noticing the color of her skin, not the likeness of the blood color. She, of course, then sat next to a white lady. I realized then the pain JoAnn must have felt her whole life with that and many other racist experiences. We did agree, as anyone would, that Martin Luther King has helped us come a long way in this country since the 1950's. Are we each doing our part to bury racism today?
Thoughts by Janet: Make time to watch a PBS video called "More Than A Month" by Shukree H.Tilghman, a 29 year old African-American filmmaker who goes on a cross country campaign to end Black History Month. His question: Does one month only denigrate the role of black history and black culture throughout American history. His journey, as he tells it, was so thought provoking! So I researched some on slavery... when it actually did begin in our country.
As from Wikipedia:
Fact: From the l6th through the l9th centuries an estimated million Africans were shackled and taken from their lives against their will and shipped to the Americas as slaves.
By l860 U.S. Census: The slave population had grown to 4 million.
Black culture is deeply embedded in our history and is apart of this country's history. Mr. Tilghman brings up the issue of how and when Black history is taught in our school systems today. Very interesting conclusion to his journey!
Poem by Janet for our new friend JoAnn with Love.
"The Tapestry"
The tapestry of this land,
Colored Only!
Whites Only!
Mental iron shackles!
Bound to fail!
But a tapestry textured with
threads woven of tolerance,
threads of courage, and
threads of common good!
Of course, with hope, faith, and love
in a multitude of colors!
But many reds...
the color of life,
which flows beneath the skin,
freely as we should
on our land!
Funnies: We stayed in a state park outside New Orleans near the 9th ward, the one made famous by Katrina. The local newspaper was called "The New Orleans Levee" subtitle "We don't hold anything back"
A menu in the local deli we frequented had a single sheet menu with the daily specials listed Monday through Saturday. Sundays said "What ever your mother is fixing, cause we're closed!".
Great blog. Like the poem a lot.
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