" Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez "
                  ........ Let the good times roll!

               
     Saint Valentine's Day is not the only February holiday in Louisiana....
      "Throw me Sumthin Mistah!"
      This cry can be heard ringing in the streets throughout Louisiana
      during the many Mardi Gras parades held throughout the state.
      Mostly from children, but also from the many of us who are known
      as "children at heart."  We have screamed ourselves silly for these
      trinkets for years.  Beads,doubloons, cups, and this year stuffed
      animals.  But the beads and the doubloons have been the most
      popular treasures for as long as I can remember.
        And I am proud to say that I have many!  If there is anyone who
      may have been visiting relatives on another planet and don't know
      what or where "Mardi Gras" is, I have tried to put together a
      "bit-o-info" that you may enjoy.
      Keeping in mind, Mardi Gras is not just an event, it is a state of mind!
      Hey, there is absolutely nothing not to enjoy about Mardi Gras.
       "Laissez les bons temps roulez" : Let the good times roll!
      Now everybody stand, dance to the Zydeco music, and yell "AY-YEE"
      "Don't Mess With My Toot-Toot!"
      Mardi Gras dates back to 1837 when the first street parade
      took place.
      The carnival season begins January 6th (12 days after Christmas) on the
      Twelfth Night with the first of nearly 100 private masked balls. The dazzling
      Mardi Gras parades feature marching bands and elaborate papier mache
      floats with maskers tossing trinkets, beads and doubloons to the crowd.
      On Mardi Gras Day, the day before Ash Wednesday, the largest and longest
      parades are held. Rex, King of Carnival, is a prominent businessman, chosen by secret committee. His Queen is always a debutante of the current season. On Mardi Gras day, everyone joins in the costuming, young and old alike, resident and tourist.
      It is Louisiana's premiere party season! It's time to enjoy life, party, and have a good time! It's irresistibly fun, vibrant, sarcastic, and sassy! If
      you understand how New Orleans hums during the day and sings at night, you may be able to envision its celebration of Mardi Gras. Perhaps it's the
      anticipation of the merriment, the excitement of catching throws, the extravaganza of the parades, getting dressed up in costume, or going to a Ball --but a frame of mind takes over the Big Easy and says "forget your problems and have fun!"
      New Orleans, Louisiana's largest city and the birthplace of Louisiana Mardi Gras, undoubtedly boasts the largest celebration. A huge street party
      begins in the French Quarter weeks before "Fat Tuesday" and culminates in the magnificent parades with larger-than-life floats that often make major
      news broadcasts. For sheer excitement, this experience is beyond compare.

      If you want a smaller more family-style celebration, your options are equally wonderful. All the major cities in Louisiana, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles,Lafayette, Houma and Baton Rouge, plus many
      of the smaller towns hold their own Mardi Gras festivals. Here, you will find parades on a smaller scale. And your kids will have the great opportunity to catch the beads and doubloons that make this holiday so much fun.
      These celebrations are also accompanied with food and music.The Krewe of
      Gemini and Centaur Parades begin 2 blocks from my home in Shreveport.

      Carnival celebration starts onJanuary 6, the Twelfth Night (feast of Epiphany);and picks up speed until Midnight on Mardi Gras, the day before
      Ash Wednesday. How will you which Tuesday?  Mardi Gras is always 40
      days plus 6 Sundays before Lent. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25 with the exact date to coincide with the first Sunday after the full moon following a Spring Equinox!  So that's a little history lesson on Mardi Gras.  Now we have to get you ready to "talk the talk."

          I'm sure by now you are all dancing to the Zydeco
            music and yelling " Ay-yee!! "
            "Laissez les bons temps rouler !!"
            Now that we can walk the walk..let's talk the talk..

            FAIS-DO-DO: Literally means " go to sleep." This
            phrase was whispered by French-speaking Cajun
            mothers to their children. Once the Children had
            fallen asleep and were placed out of harm's way,
            the parents could join in the dances.
            JOIE DE VIVRE: The joy of living.
            LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER:

              Let the good times roll!
            C'EST LA VIE: That's life.
            ENVIE: Your heart's desire or a very strong craving
            CANAILLE: Mischievous.
            LAGNIAPPE: A little something extra.
            LACHE PAS LA PATATE:
            Don't let go of potato/don't give up
        Thanks to Roma from Ville Platte for help with the terminology and Kate
        and Bob, students at USL in Lafayette for their "Mardi Gras terms" help.
            TERMS OF MARDI GRAS
      BALL (ball masque, tableau ball) - a themed masked ball, where the krewe royalty  is presented to the club members

      BOEUF (French word) - this is a large bull or ox, which represents the ancient
      symbol of the last meal before the Lenten season of fasting.  I was born on
      Boeuf River.

      CAPTAIN - this is the leader of each Carnival organization

      CARNIVAL (from Latin carnivale) - translated to be farewell to the flesh (the feast of  Epiphany) to midnight on Fat Tuesday (the day before Lent)

      COURT - this is the Mardi Gras King, Queen, maids and dukes of a Carnival
      organization

      DEN - this is the location where the floats are built and stored

      DOUBLOONS - aluminum objects resembling coins, which bear the insignia of the krewe on one side and the theme on the other; Rex krewe introduced the first one in 1960.  I think I have 1 from each year!!!

      FLAMBEAUX (plural) - Naphtha-fueled torches,once the only light source
      along the parade routes; now, they are carried along as part of the parade

      KING CAKE - this is an oval pastry with a small plastic doll inside;whoever finds the doll makes the next king cake or hosts the next party.

      KREWE - this is a term with Old English flavor, first used by the Krewe of Comus in 1857 to name a Carnival Organization

      MARDI GRAS - this is the day before the beginning of Lent called Fat Tuesday

      PRALINES - Purely sweet handmade creole candy, found only in New Orleans -- a  unique taste to the world.

      THROWS - the items thrown from floats by the krewe members; these can be
       beads, plastic cups, doubloons, and toys.

      WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  GET THOSE BAGS PACKED,
      OR JUST COME AS YOU ARE...LEAVE DIFFERENT!!
             LET'S GO TO 'LES CARNIVALE!!!
                  2000

         
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