When the parades roll and the balls are over, preparation for next year begins.
After Christmas and the New Year, many people take a deep breath and say goodbye to the holiday season.
Epiphany, January 6, is the official end of the holiday season, but then it’s “laissez le bon temps rouler, y’all,” as Mardi Gras season makes its way up the Gulf Coast.
However, Mardi Gras is usually considered a unique event in New Orleans. Carnival culture is booming on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Parade culture on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
“We’re kind of stuck between where Mardi Gras started in Mobile and where it rose to fame in New Orleans,” said Krewe of Gemini Ball Captain Shellie Moses. “So we have a lot of like-minded traditions.”
According to Moses, what really separates a Mardi Gras celebration on the Mississippi Gulf Coast from those in Mobile or New Orleans is the parade atmosphere.
“We’re very family-friendly,” added Moses. “If you’re coming to the Gulf Coast for Mardi Gras, you don’t have to worry as much about your kids’ safety.”
This means that the litters at the children’s parades will be as full of candy and beads as possible, in contrast to what Moses called “unfortunate stigmas” that happen in other areas.
“Almost every city (along the Gulf Coast) will host at least one parade,” Moses said.
No two parades are the same, some include day parades, night parades, kid-oriented parades, golf cart parades, and even pet parades. Aside from the city parades, some Krus will also hold their own individual parades, and some will even hold a day parade and a night parade.
Leadership among the Kru can also be family-oriented, with Krus like Gemini’s Krewe having a family heritage.
“My mother was a captain of the kru for eleven years,” Moses said. “Then she started training me and when she retired I took the reins. That was seven years ago now.”
The ball rolls on the coast all year round
The Mardi Gras Ball is another chapter in the history of Mardi Gras on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. When you picture a ball, you might think of a night of fun and glamour, but for the likes of Moses, the ball is a way of life.
“I’m already working on the closest for 2024,” Moses said. “It’s a year-round job. This one (2023) hasn’t even happened yet and I’m already working on concepts and planning for 2024.”
There’s more to hiring a DJ or finding the catering for these events. Each kru uses the opening moments of their ball to honor their kings for the year with a presentation of the tableau or court and the coronation of the king and queen.
“Every krewe, every carnival ball is different,” said Moses. “Some Krus open the evening with troops within the Krus performing various dances, we call them ‘Sketches,’ which somehow represent the theme of the year.”
The Krus who have choreographed skits are mostly the all-female Krus.
“Are you trying to get the men to do a skit? You can forget that,” Moses joked.
But not all Krus have the troops perform various skits. Krewe of Gemini, for example, invites youth dance groups to perform and perform the night before the royal coronation.
“Each kru has her maids and her dukes to be introduced,” Moses said. “And they will do so in advance of the coronation of the king and queen.”
The pomp associated with the presentation of the court and its king and queen is more like a staging, a work of art, than a name call.
“I pretty much design the concepts,” Moses said. “And then I get together with the seamstress and she designs the dresses and together we make the magic happen.”
None of the dresses for the kings of the Krewe will be found on the shelf, and you won’t see them on an influencer or model.
“These are custom made,” Moses said.
Elaborate, beautiful, stunning, eccentric. These dresses are over the top in both design and price.
“It depends because every dress is so different,” Moses said. “But generally ours cost somewhere in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars.”
The coronation for the couples who become king and queen in the twins’ creed is every bit as special as their wedding reception – a fact that is reflected in what they are willing to pay and do to get ready for the night of the prom to be.
“One of my maids told me this year that she paid more for her dress than her wedding dress this year,” Moses said. “But she said she looks fabulous in it so she doesn’t mind.”
Mississippi Mardi Gras returns
At the end of the evening, the clothes are hung up, the lights are turned on again and preparations for the next ball begin.
But one of the most unique things about Mississippi’s Mardi Gras culture is that the fun doesn’t stop when the party ends, as each kru does what they can to give back to the community.
“Some Krus raise money for churches, schools or other important organizations,” Moses said.
Krewe of Gemini is involved in the Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo Cruisin’ the Coast and even awards two scholarships a year to local graduates.
So when you think of Mardi Gras, think of Mississippi and come down and experience it for yourself.
Click here to find a 2023 Mississippi Gulf Coast Mardi Gras celebration.
— Article credit to Courtney Ingle of the Magnolia Tribune —
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