As a child growing up in the American Midwest (Ohio and Kansas) I considered the Christmas holiday season to be the festive highlight of my year. Christmas week leading into New Year’s Day still wipes me out with seeing the out-of-town relatives and the newcomers, catching up on their latest happenings, and getting the spreads ready for the get-togethers, the football game halftime shows, and the special holiday cocktail parties. But since I’ve started writing my New Orleans Mystery series and researching NOLA culture, I’ve come to realize that for hardcore New Orleanians, Christmas is just a pre-game warmup. NOLA's Carnival season begins on January 6th, AKA Twelfth Night, the last night of the twelve days of Christmas, and then it runs for 43 more days until Fat Tuesday (AKA Mardi Gras), February 17th, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
Yikes! I am a rank partying amateur. These NOLA folks are professional caliber party animals.
Twelfth Night is important because it's the day the Christmas holiday decorations and trees are taken down and New Orleanians traditionally start hunting for an iced King Cake.
What’s a
King Cake, you ask? It’s only the carbohydrate version of crack cocaine. Once
you try a slice, you will annually crave it. (Trust me on this.) Fashioned from
a ring of slightly sweet brioche dough, a King Cake is iced with vanilla glaze
or frosting and gold, purple, and green sprinkles. It also features (or hides)
a plastic Baby Jesus figurine. Tradition holds that whoever gets the slice with
Baby Jesus on it (or in it) needs to treat their friends to the King Cake the
following year.
And since
NOLA is ground zero for traditional superstitions, it’s also important – once
you slice into the King Cake to keep the same knife in the box for good luck
until the entire cake is gone. This last item may just be lazy housekeeping –
there’s so much sugar in the frosting there’s no way any germs could get into
it and otherwise you’ll just keep unnecessarily dirtying knives as you keep
returning time and again for one final slice. (Trust me again on this.)
Between
beignets and King Cake, NOLA is out to get you.
Also during
Carnival, Mardi Gras parades roll through the streets featuring elaborate
floats hosted by social clubs called krewes. Some krewes like the Zulu Social
Aid & Pleasure Club go back to Carnival’s very beginning. Participants in
this krewe are famously known for tossing prized beaded necklaces, fake gold
doubloons, and plastic coconuts into the crowds lining the sidewalks. Some
krewes, like the Krewe of Tucks, irreverently throw jeweled toilet brushes.
I’ve even
invented a krewe of my own – Krewdio-54 whose members are disco music devotees.
Laissez les bons temps rouler! I suspect that in my next NOLA Mystery this
group will be parading down St. Charles Street dancing to Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer while on
roller skates.
Have you
visited New Orleans during Carnival/Mardi Gras? What was your experience like?
I've enjoyed New Orleans, but never during Mardi Gras, and I don't plan to change that.
ReplyDeleteHi Jim - I'm happy to observe the festivity from afar. It's the crowd size that scares me off. I've learned to time my annual NOLA visit to the weeks between Mardi Gras Carnival and the NOLA Jazz Festival - another barn door buster! That seems to be the few weeks when New Orleanians seem to take a breath!
DeleteA few years ago, I went to one of the pre-parades. It was a zoo, but not as bad as in the thick of things. Had a great time in New Orleans and have been back a few times (for jazz and conferences). Prefer it with less crowds as there still is much to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra - I'm (obviously) hooked on NOLA. As soon as I finish one trip I start planning the next one. It helps that I can call is 'researching my next book.' LOL.
DeleteWhat a way to overcome the mid-winter doldrums! I've been to NOLA, but not at Mardi Gras time.
ReplyDeleteI agree, and I need to escape to NOLA since Pittsburgh got socked in by Snowmageddon on Sunday. Although, from what I'm seeing, the south isn't much warmer than we are!
DeleteI've been in NOLA for every season except Mardi Gras. It's past time to correct that. My daughter was part of Disco Amigos for several years. They had gigs year 'round and danced in four parades during Mardi Gras.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret - Disco Amigos, what fun! I've danced in a second line parade at Bouchercon. Right now I'm busily framing up NOLA Mystery #4, which will feature my imaginary Krewdio-54 dancers. I'm knee-deep in research, and trying to imagine who my next victim/killers are.
DeleteBeen to New Orleans a couple of times, though not at Mardi Gras.
ReplyDeleteDid different things each time, a bayou trip, plantations tour, paddlewheel along the Mississippi River, Longvue Gardens and, of course, Preservation Hall.
That doesn’t even include the wonderful restaurants and music.
Just had shrimp creole for dinner which I ordered through Cajun Grocer. They offer a variety of Cajun, Creole and other New Orleans food including King Cake.
Since I live too far away to enjoy the food in person this is a good substitute.
Was your bayou trip a swamp tour with the Raging Cajuns? I did that my last visit - what a trip. Between the snakes, the wild pigs, and the gators, I realized the only defensive weapon I had on me was a pen. Preservation Hall, the Frenchmen Street scene, and Kermit Ruffins show at his jazz club are NOLA treasures! Great - now I'm jonesing to go back!
DeleteI love this! I did go to Mardi Gras once. My sophomore year in college, so it was soon after the earth cooled. I have to tell you, I lived through the 60s and I remember them. I do not remember much from my trip to Mardi Gras. Good thing I stayed with friends who had a house in the French Quarter!
ReplyDeleteHi Kait - True confession: I don't remember much about my first visit to NOLA, the one I made back in the 80's. It's funny to me now when I go back to suddenly think: "Wait a minute. I've been here before." Good thing we didn't have phones with cameras back then. LOL.
DeleteWell, now I'm hungry...Seriously, though, as a crowdphobe, this kind of gives me hives...
ReplyDeleteHi Lori - I'm with you with the crowd thing. I love blues and jazz music, but it's best heard sitting on a French Quarter balcony while sipping on a beverage.
DeleteOne year, my sister-in-law's dental practice had a float, and she was the tooth fairy; they threw toothbrushes and beads, etc. It was so fun hanging out with my nieces and nephews to catch the parade from different locations. The next day, we went to the parades on St. Charles' Street, where people had set up camp, with their chairs and coolers, and all kinds of fun. Love visiting NOLA!
ReplyDelete