Mardi Gras in Mississippi

When you look up Mardi Gras history, you get all kinds of different results. Definitions of what it is, where it started, what the parade krewe names stand for and where the first celebration in North America actually took place. Not knowing 100% of what’s accurate and what’s not, actually adds a little mystery to the whole “season”. My personal favorite definition is that it is a celebration of spring and fertility from an ancient Pagen tradition. For whatever reason, this definition resonates with me. (Could be because our sons were both conceived during the Mardi Gras celebrations – LOL!). However you view it, it truly is a celebration and we have never experienced anything quite like it outside of New Orleans, LA.

Mardi Gras in Mississippi reminds me of the days we used to spend at Mardi Gras in New Orleans back in the mists of time, although on a smaller scale. The parades feel local and family oriented. The number of beads and toys that are thrown to the kids and adults alike, are unbelievable in quantity and quality. There were no boobs in sight no matter where we stood and there were smiles on everyone’s faces as they watched the floats go by them. It’s just plain fun for all ages. The floats are smaller in scale than the Fat Tuesday parade in New Orleans, but with the same bright colors and beautiful costumes.

Depending on the dates of Mardi Gras, the crawfish season will usually start around that same time. Dave and I were very fortunate to have met some wonderful people in the campground that know how to do a real crawfish boil.

The key to a good boil is in the spices you add into the pot. MMMMMMM! If you ever get an opportunity to have a crawfish boil, load up on newspaper and be prepared to work hard for those tasty little tidbits of meat. You’ll be surprised at how delicious they are. I am not a foodie by any means, but it is pretty hard to beat a good boil. Back in Minnesota, we would view that huge cooler as bait, but down here, they are nothing but tasty to us humans.

Then of course there is dessert. No real celebration during Mardi Gras would be without a king cake. They are only made during this season and the one thing we noticed from back in our NOLA days to now, is that some cakes don’t have the baby already in place when you purchase them. You might have to insert it yourself although it has the same meaning. You get the baby in your piece of cake and it symbolizes prosperity and good luck. It also means that with that new prosperity, you get to buy the next king cake.

To sum up our experience, we would say the overall look and feel of Mardi Gras in Mississippi is a pleasant surprise. You get a scaled down version of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and an intimacy with the other people around you that you just can’t achieve when there are thousands of people and they are 10 deep in front and behind you, watching a parade and hoping to catch some beads. It’s one more experience we can add to our list of “good things” to try.

See ya on the road,

Dave and Theresa