What's a Krewe to do?
Mardi Gras 2021
“It has been said that a Scotchman has not seen the world until he has seen Edinburgh.; and I think that I may say that an American has not seen the United States until he has seen Mardi Gras in New Orleans.” - Mark Twain
Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, has been the traditional festival of festivals of New Orleans and the cornerstone to New Orleans tourist trade. Nowadays, Mardi Gras isn’t just one day. The “season” begins on January 6 with Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc and culminates on Mardi Gras day sometime in February or early March.
The French established the city of New Orleans in 1718, and by 1730’s Mardi Gras had become ingrained in the city’s culture. Any collection of Mardi Gras revelers is known as a “krewe,” and they specifically take part in parades and processions during carnival season. The first Mardi Gras krewe, the Mistick Krewe of Comus, formed in 1856 and became known for its eye-catching floats, masked balls and anonymity for krewe members. By 1873, krewes began using floats as a way to express opinions and mock public officials and hot-button topics of the day. Mardi Gras became an official holiday with the signing of the “Mardi Gras Act” in Louisiana in 1875.
Mardi Gras krewes began organizing among various communities, such as the Tramps, the forerunner of the all-African American Krewe of Zulu, which launched in 1909. The first all-female krewe, Les Mysterieuses, formed in 1896, and the Krewe of Iris, the oldest all-female krewe still rolling today, first appeared in 1917. Other parades established themselves around particular neighborhoods, such as Carrollton, which first rolled in 1924 and continues today.
After Mardi Gras 2020 caused a major super spreader Covid-19 event infecting thousands and no doubt killing hundreds, New Orleans cancelled Mardi Gras 2021. Since its inception in 1857 by the Mistick Krewe of Comus, New Orleans Mardi Gras has either been canceled or massively scaled back just 14 other times. While in Nola for the Chrismas Holidays 2020 visiting family, we were fortunate enough to obtain our first Covid-19 vaccine on January 16th in Gulfport Mississippi just sixty miles away. A friend who lives there told us of a hospital that had shots going begging so we rushed over and begged. Our second shot was due about the time of Mardi Gras which is why we happened to be in Nola.
Of course I had Nola, my camera, with me. I was interested in seeing how the city responded to the absence of its signature event. So I took her out and about to record the first time since 1919 that there was no Mardi Gras celebration.