There is so much hype surrounding Mardi Gras that sometimes we forget to slow down and take a look at how artistic the holiday really is. Being a Louisiana native, in honor of Fat Tuesday I wanted to take some time to show how much art ties in with the holiday and its festivities. From elaborate floats and costumes to even King Cake, art is an important element of Mardi Gras.
People from everywhere gather in New Orleans for Mardi Gras annually to take part in the celebration. Parades are a huge part of the holiday. Carnival krewes organize all parades and balls for the season. There are many krewes, and each has its own theme every year, reflected in floats and throws. Floats are very large and elaborate, and no two are the same. The floats in the night parades light up the streets when they roll. Blaine Kern Studios started making floats, sculptures and props in the 1940s, and Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World creates many of the best New Orleans Mardi Gras parades “from concept to completion.” Click here to see the Web site.
A Blaine Kern float
Krewe members ride on the floats throwing beads, doubloons and other items into the crowd. The krewe members wear intricate costumes on the floats and at balls. The krewes’ royal court members wear larger, more elaborate costumes with beads, feathers and yards of colorful fabric, while the other members wear simpler costumes that tie in with the year’s theme. All float riders wear masks.
Photo from Oliver the Prince of Crown Jewels, Inc.
In addition to the more obvious art seen in floats, costumes and masks, smaller Mardi Gras symbols are also works of art. One less apparent piece of art is the King Cake. The cake has religious background and is a traditional part of Mardi Gras. All King Cakes generally look similar with their oblong shape and icing with purple, green and gold sugar, but some art comes in with the taste. The most basic King Cake tastes like a cinnamon rolll however, bakeries love to come up with new, interesting flavors, including strawberry cream cheese, pecan praline, and chocolate coconut.
From a blog
Throws from floats can also be seen as little works of art. Yes, the plastic beads and doubloons (or coins) are cheap and simple, but they bear the krewe’s crest and logo for the year’s theme. Some krewes even have their own throws made (cups are popular). To me, the art in these trinkets is apparent when I think about the mobs of people at parades shouting, “Throw me something, mister!” to catch whatever float riders are tossing. Everything at Mardi Gras is very symbolic. The colors all have meaning: purple stands for justice, green for faith and gold for power.
If you’re interested in learning more about Mardi Gras, this Web site has a lot of information about the history and traditions of the holiday.
Happy Mardi Gras, everyone! Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!
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