Mardi Gras and Protest

For my first Mardi Gras celebration this year I made the bold move of leaving New Orleans and experiencing a Cajun Mardi Gras in Eunice, Louisiana, a small town about 2 hours north of here. It definitely feels like it is worlds apart from what we experience in New Orleans from the costumes to what the people do to celebrate and the most interesting element observed was that of protest within the Cajun celebration.

The day of a Cajun  Mardi Gras consists of a run. There are several places you may run throughout the towns and you gather with about 200 other people or more at 9 AM in the morning (Lundi Gras celebrating and drinking does not change this time either.) You MUST wear a costume, a mask and a capuchon or you are not allowed to run. Here is an example of the costumes. 

You may be wondering why we all look insane. These costumes are made to represent and make fun of the French royalty as if you were a court jester. Those tall hats are called capuchons and mimic those hats worn by the aristocracy and Cajun people take this dress seriously. When I walked up to register I was not wearing a mask and I was whipped by a Capitan, which are like the Mardi Gras police that hold leather whips and punish you if you misbehave. This sounds aggressive at first but people enjoy taunting them and they make sure everything is in check.

During this several mile run you stop at farms throughout the town and beg for a "cinq" (5 cents) or ingredients for your gumbo that you will make that evening. This was done by the French Canadian exiles to the upper class in these specific costumes because of the heavy taxing done by French royalty to the poor citizens. Because the rich heavily depended on the poor and did not credit them, Mardi Gras was a chance to turn the tables and push the French aristocracy into a humiliating light. The biggest event done at each house however is the chicken chase. Each house throws chickens off the roof and you must race to catch them or they place them in kennels on poles and everyone has to climb to get them. These chickens are also used for gumbo. 

 

 So from 9am to 3pm in the afternoon you play music, drink, dance, mud wrestle, chase chickens dressed in ridiculous costumes. At the last house of the run you all gather to listen to a Cajun band playing on a porch, eat the best gumbo you will ever taste in your life and mud wrestle even more all while protesting the massive taxes placed on you by French royalty.

  

The foundations of Mardi Gras music and celebration contain a lot more history than people realize and when I learned that Mardi Gras is a giant protest I could not contain myself. I think everyone should experience a Cajun Mardi Gras at least once in their lives because it definitely changed my life.