Dear Julia,
In this year’s “Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide,” New Orleans Magazine’s February 1976 Carnival issue is mentioned because of an article it ran entitled “The Ten Greatest Carnival Parades of All Time.” That mention was part of a feature about the Krewe of Carrollton which celebrated its Centennial that year. I assume a Carrollton parade was on the list. If so, which one?
-Judd Jones, Marrero
Yeah, you’re right Judd. According to the author, Jay Clark, the krewe’ 1966 parade entitled “Reveries Over A Scrapbook” was a “nostalgic look at the past themes.” John Deutchmann & Sons was one of the of the top float builders at the time. Clark added that the parade was called “Deutschmann’s finest effort,”
Clark, incidentally, made a bit of Carnival history himself. Writing under the pseudonym “Mardi McGraw” for the now defunct suburban Guide newspaper, he was the first Carnival parade critic. He loved and respected the parades and could look at them critically, even noting the number of horses.
After the Guides closed, a new critic, with the pseudonym, Rex Duke, would write for Gambit. He attracted quite a following, including krewe Captains who needed some independent critical commentary to improve their product. (A riding krewe member was even kicked out of a krewe because Duke reported that he did not wear a mask during a parade.) He also took a strong stand against commercialism. In his prime he was a powerful voice. Both McGraw and Duke made Mardi Gras better. I am not sure if anyone is evaluating the next generation of all-time great parades, but someone should. It is a lot of work to cover all the parades while dodging traffic and meeting deadlines. Whoever takes on the responsibility should be knowledgeable and take the responsibility seriously for the sake of protecting the quality of Carnival.
Hey Julia,
What are the earliest and latest dates that Mardi Gras can be—and why?
– Frank Jay Bordelon, Winnfield
Frank, February 3 is the earliest date in can be (Poydras adds, “brrrrr”). March 9 is the latest (Poydras adds: “ahhh”).
Though the true date of Easter is uncertain, ancient events were often dated according to lunar cycles since there were no documented historical dates. In effect, the moon was the calendar.
Mardi Gras’ dates are based on Easter, which the ancients determined to be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox – the beginning of spring. That is a moveable event, varying each year by weeks. The time of penance because of Christ’s suffering, known as Lent, is the 40 days period before the crucifixion. (Because Sunday is not considered a Lenten day the entire period lasts 46 days, so, count back those many days and that will take you to Ash Wednesday (unless Poydras who doesn’t know much about counting makes a mistake). Then the day before is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) which is celebrated as the last day of feasting before the solemn period of fasting. Fortunately, the figuring out for those dates was conducted by monks and clerics who, lacking much night entertainment, spent their evenings looking at the stars for celestial shows. (That lunar time period is also a factor, with some variation, of the Jewish celebration of Passover.)
Oh, next year Mardi Gras is March 4 near the end of the allowable dates and more likely to be warmer and better at giving would-be spectators a little more breathing room from Christmas. The next really early date will be Feb. 6 in 2035 and, the latest, March 9 in 2038. That is the last possible date, assuming the monks got it right. They always have so far.
