Mobiles Mardi Gras is Oldest in the US
Today when people think of Mardi Gras celebrations, they often think of New Orleans. However, true Mardi Gras, and the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S., takes place in none other than Mobile, Alabama.
The first recorded Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile was in 1703, but the partying began in earnest in 1830 when a group of revelers paraded through the streets with rakes and cowbells. During the Civil War, the celebration stopped as citizens dealt with the aftermath of the bloody war. Luckily, in 1866, one man, Joseph Stillwell Cain, set out to rebirth the tradition, and Mobile's Mardi Gras has been carrying on ever since.
In the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras Day, Mobile sees its biggest event of the year with parades, floats, costumes and general carnival fun. In fact, parades abound in many areas of the city sponsored by a multitude of groups, including Pharaoh's Mystic Society, the Order of the Polka Dots, Neptune's Daughters, and the Conde Cavaliers. Parade onlookers are excited to see the elaborate, colorful costumes of carnival while waiting anxiously to catch the candy, moon pies, and Mardi Gras beads thrown from the floats. Mobile's Mardi Gras parades are truly like no other, and parade aficionados of all ages will not be disappointed.
"Moonpies?" you ask? Yes, moonpies. These delicious treats are the official food of Mobile's Mardi Gras, and in Mobile you're as likely to catch a moonpie as a beaded necklace. 2009 even saw an entire float created to resemble the famous snack.
As is traditional in Mardi Gras season, specifically on Fat Tuesday, festival participants enjoy a variety of delicious, guilty foods and drinks. The most popular of these is the King cake. Contemporary king cakes are coffee cakes frosted with sugar icing and then dusted with green, purple, and yellow sugar. King cakes feature a tiny trinket inside, usually a baby symbolic of Baby Jesus, and the person who gets the prize has certain obligations for the next year, such as purchasing the next King cake. King cakes, moon pies, and other carnival foods make Mobile's Mardi Gras a delicious party.
If you're thinking of visiting Mobile for the Mardi Gras celebration, you have some flexibility for your vacation. Parades and other activities usually begin in mid-January and end on Fat Tuesday, giving you several weeks to make your trip. One thing is certain, Mobile's Mardi Gras is certainly the place to "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez" - Let the Good Times Roll!
Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at Toomey's Mardi Gras. He writes about Mardi Gras Beads and other industry specific topics.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
