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Mardi Gras (No Who Content)



 
>Can Mark or someone tell me a little more about Mardi Gras? What's it all
about?

Mark:

The Mardi Gras is a quasi-Pagan holiday, celebrating rebirth. It has been
tied with Xtian beliefs now in that it begins at Epithany (in January) and
ends the day before Ash Wed. Mardi Gras, as you probably know, is French for
Fat Tuesday. You're supposed to "get your sins out" before giving them up
for Lent. Carnival in Rio is the same celebration.
What happens in New Orleans, though, is that people drink and dress up
(masks being very popular) and generally have a good time. You can drink in
the streets (rare in the US), as well as do any sort of mind altering
without fear. People come from all over the world to experience it, and it
usually has upward of a million people there for the last 3 days. I usually
go on Friday and stay till the end.
There are several groups of NO people called Krewes, which have elaborate
parades with (sometimes) over a hundred floats...huge floats, not the normal
kind. They might hold 50+ masked members of the Krew, all of whom are
throwing out Mardi Gras beads. These beads, although for the most part made
of cheap plastic, are sort of status among MG people. The more you have, the
more status you have. And it's easy to tell the "bought" beads from the
"caught" beads. Each Krew has their own distinctive sort, too.
There are some things that go one constantly from one end of Bourbon street
to the other: women exposing their breasts, for instance. For beads, which
now becomes a wonderful medium of exchange. Men also expose themselves,
although not nearly as much. Maybe in the gay section, which I haven't been
to a lot (although anyone is welcome to observe). Some of the "queens" have
quite elaborate costumes...it's worth seeing.
Another thing is like (much like a concert), people are consistantly
friendly. You can talk with anyone, and have a good time. You can find a guy
in a $1000 outfit talking with someone in a $10 outfit. Great atmosphere.
There is lots music also, from the many bars that line the street. Mostly
Blues and Jazz, which drifts through the open windows so you don't have to
go into the bars. You can get drinks on the street, too, so there's really
no need to go into the crowded bars. Not that the streets aren't crowded too!
And you can find street musicians all over the place.
Many celebs attend...I've seen Steven Segal, Dennis Quaid, Timothy Hutton,
and John Goodman there for instance. As long as you don't bother them, it's
cool.
People usually dress up for Lundi Gras (Fat Monday) and Mardi Gras. I do
myself, in fact...I have a long black cape and a black mask. My wife's
home-made costume made it on the news once, when she was the Queen Of
Diamonds (much like the cards in Alice In Wonderland).
I could go on, but in any case it's best to experience it for yourself. It's
too late now to go in `97, but if you want to go the next year I will
be...so I can show you the ropes.



                   Cheers                   ML

"I think you should keep on playing Rock as long as you have an axe to grind
and then if you haven't got an axe to grind you should go into cabaret."
                                                                 Pete Townshend