Mardi gras History 10 facts you may not know about Mardi Gras by Murella Powell
From the time in 1699 when Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville wrote “March 3rd. Mardy Gras Day” in his journal, the celebration of that day (also called Shrove Tuesday) has gone through a continuous evolution, with customs changing and customs falling along the way. Long before the advent of parading, celebrants attended balls and parties. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, towns along the Mississippi Coast were virtually deserted on Mardi Gras day as people went by train to the parades in New Orleans. This is probably why the kings of the Coast’s first two parades, held in Biloxi in 1891 and 1892, were named Rex. Here are some other interesting and unusual facts about Mardi Gras. • Marquis Pierre Rigaud Cavagnial de Vaudreuil, the French Governor of Louisiana from 1743 to 1753, celebrated Mardi Gras with lavish dinners served up on gold-plated dishes. • As early as 1822, New Orleans French newspapers reported the many Mardi Gras balls and parties that took place during the carnival season. • A 2,000-pound bull festooned with garlands and gilded horns led Biloxi’s 1908 carnival parade. Called the Boeuf Gras (fat beef), the bull was the ancient French symbol of Mardi Gras. The Boeuf Gras led Mardi Gras parades in Paris during the rule of the Bourbon kings and under the reign of Napoleon. • Biloxi’s only Carnival parade in 1909 was strange and unusual. Called the Mardi Gras Road Tax Parade, it consisted of several wagons and about 150 marching men. The participants wore comic costumes and carried signs protesting the “tyranny” of Biloxi’s new road tax law. • A group called the Merry Mystics staged a Mardi Gras parade in Bay St. Louis in 1867. Moss Point’s first attempt at a parade took place in 1909. One of its four floats featured a real saw mill, which represented the town’s main industry. • Due to WWI, Mardi Gras masking on the streets along the Mississippi Coast was prohibited in 1918. Masks could be donned only after entering a building. • The only parade to roll on Mardi Gras day in 1921 was staged by a group of African-Americans called the Krewe of Biloxi Indians. From 1932 to 1949, the Vernon Gilbert Colored Elks Lodge sponsored African-American Zulu parades in downtown Biloxi. The AfricanAmerican Krewe of Foogaboo paraded at Pass Christian during the 1930s. • In 1934, the people along the Mississippi Coast had a voice in selecting Queen Ixolib. A person only had to purchase a ticket to the queen’s charity ball to become eligible to vote. • The first Mardi Gras parade after WWII occurred in 1946. With postwar funds still tight, Queen Ixolib wore a store-bought white gown upon which sequins were sown, and her train was fashioned from the silk of a parachute adorned with silver stars.
• The Gulf Coast Carnival Association officially adopted the title “captain” in 1953. Prior to that time, the person who served in that January-February 2017 44 capacity was called general manager.
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SUSAN HUNT continued from page 40 stop talking to people; we have to seat ‘em and feed ‘em!” Susan hugs, chats and and cuts up just like that with so many Biloxians, one might think she knows EVERYONE in that city. “I don’t think there’s anyone she doesn’t know,” says City Councilman Kenny Glavan after getting his hug and kiss from Susan. “She even knows people who are moving down here!’ Susan never married but she has “children” all over the Coast. She calls anyone she taught “her children,” and whenever you see her you’ll fi d her hugging and fussing over her “children” who are adults now. “My passion …,” Susan says, pausing as she tries to formulate the right words. “It is to make a difference in children’s and people’s lives.” And that seems to be the Hunts’ way of doing things. During the early days of Mardi Gras, all the preparations were made at the Hunt home, except for decorating the fl ats, she recalls. “Mardi Gras was a part of our lives,” she says. “We lived with Mardi Gras all year long. Our house had costumes, liquor, beads, etc. all year long!” She continues, “Mardi Gras was a tradition which began with my grandfather, and the tradition continued through my parents — Ruth and Walter Kenner “Skeet” Hunt; my uncle and aunt, Bartlo and Mona Hunt; and my aunt, Phyllis Hunt Graham. The tradition continues as my sister, Martha, and I are still very active with the Gulf Coast Carnival Association.” Susan and her sister continue to be involved with GCCA in various roles. Susan is a member of GCCA, serves on the Mardi Gras Museum Board, Children’s Marching Parade Committee, and participates in the parade. She also serves the GCCA royalty and their guests at City Hall on parade day. “If you’re not on the list, you’re not getting in,” she says. Her sister, Martha, serves in the Children’s Marching Parade and is chairperson for the Show Box Float Contest. Why do they still stay so involved? Susan says, “As stated by my parents, ‘That’s payment enough for us just to see the smile on the children’s faces as the parade goes down the street”! Martha adds, “Because it was and still is a family tradition. ... My parents were always telling us we should give back to the community. Helping gave us pleasure knowing that the children and people of the community could benefit from the fun of Mardi Gras.”
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