Celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans, by National Geographic

New Orleans Mardi Gras is more than just a celebration before the Christian
season of lint begins. In this city, preparations for the big day begin weeks and
even months in advance. Early mornings are nothing new for Bakers, but the
pre-dawn workload grows during Carnival season, from January 6th through Fat
Tuesday.
New Orleans Cake Cafe and Bakery is a beehive of activity where they make as
many as 50 king cakes a day. Here they make non-traditional goat cheese and
apple Stuffed Cakes.
“There's very old school king cakes in New Orleans they've been at it for 50 60
100 years some of them, and they have a loyal following”. The old school king
cake has a tiny baby or other trinket baked inside, and whoever gets the trinket
has obligations such as, buying next year's king cake. Here, the baby goes on
the outside.
“The King Kake is the traditional New Orleans Mardi Grass pastry. You'll find
pastries like this all over the country and all over the world that they only serve
for a certain season during the year”.
In another part of town Sally Hedrick and her son are making 150 or more
ornate costumes. These are for the social organizations throwing lavish balls
and parades. Some may go for more than $3,000. “It's as rewarding to see the
women in these costumes gleam, but it's more rewarding to see the men,
because a man doesn't get to dress up um in beautiful clothes he's usually in a
tuxedo”
Hedrick works on costumes year-round, refurbishing ones that took a bit of a
beating during last year's Mardi Gras celebrations and creating new works. For a
look back at years past the Louisiana State Museum lets visitors see more than
a century and a half of New Orleans Mardi Gras traditions.
“The oldest item in the carnival collection is something that we were very
fortunate to acquire just a couple of years ago. It's a ball invitation that dates to
the 1850s” The carnival exhibit at the Museum on Jackson Square only shows
the tip of the iceberg. However, the Museum's Warehouse periodically offers
tours where visitors can see the thousands of costumes and other items.
“The way that we celebrate Mardi Gras now and for the last 150 years revolves
around what we call the crew system there are all these crews that exist that
are called Mardy Gras Krewes.” For the dozens of Krewes spelled with a K lavish
balls highlight Mardi Gras. The Knights of Sparta Krew was founded in 1951. For
the last 30 years they have paraded in the city and currently host a masquerade
ball and parade that fall calls on the next to the last weekend of Carnival
season. The krewe’s Captain does not publicly reveal his identity; he says it isn't
about secrecy.
“I wear the mask however because it is the tradition of Carnival to mask to hide
one's identity; because when I represent my Carnival krewe, the Knights of
Sparta, I am simply the captain one should not know my name or who I am”
Belonging to or leading a crew takes a big commitment. “It is very costly to the
members of the organization paying dues, buying the trinkets, the throws as we
call them, to throw off the floats, ball gowns for the ladies uh tickets to uh
different functions, and we do it because of a sense of tradition.”
As Fat Tuesday approaches, warehouses throughout the city come to life.
Floats, as they are called, house the floats that can cost hundreds of thousands
of dollars to construct. It can take a month or more to build and decorate the
elaborate floats, some of which date back to the early 1900s.
“It's part of the economy here, too. It puts a lot of people to work, I mean you
know to make a float like this you need carpenters, need artists, you need
welders, you need tire people, you need mechanics, that's a lot not involved.”
And a final vital ingredient for Mardi Gras is the music: the grammy winning
artist, Irvin Mayfield. “From television, you see these parades go by people
throwing beads, but what you really don't see is that Mardi Gras lives out in
people's houses. It lives out on the streets, it lives out in the halls, in the parties
and the receptions, and it's not a thing over one day. So, I would say in terms of
music, you know, it's very hard to have Mardi Gras without the music.”
He says any musician growing up in New Orleans is shaped by Mardi Gras.
“You're a leg on a table, that helps the table stand up the music, the food, the
people. For a young musician, you wouldn't start playing music because of
Mardi Gras necessarily. But if you are a musician, you will be involved in Mardi
Gras a certain way”
Most New Orleans natives say anyone hoping to understand Mardi Gras, needs
to come back often and stay a while not just for one day.

Comprehension Questions

1. What is a king cake, and what is traditionally hidden inside it?

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2. What is the meaning of Fat Tuesday?
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2. What is the role of krewe organizations in Mardi Gras celebrations?
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3. How does Mardi Gras contribute to the local economy?
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4. What role does music play in Mardi Gras, according to Grammy-winning artist
Irvin Mayfield?
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5. Why do some people consider making costumes for Mardi Gras rewarding?
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6. What does the Louisiana State Museum showcase about Mardi Gras
traditions?
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Debate
1. Should cities continue to invest in large-scale cultural celebrations
like Mardi Gras, considering the high costs involved?
2. Does the commercialization of events like Mardi Gras take away
from their cultural and historical significance?
Phrasal verbs. What is their meaning according to the text?
-Take place – e.g., "Mardi Gras takes place from January 6th through Fat
Tuesday."

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-Fill with – e.g., "New Orleans saw Carnival fill the city with its typical flare."

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-Go for – e.g., "Some may go for more than $3,000."

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-Look back – e.g., "For a look back at years past, the Louisiana State Museum
lets visitors see more than a century and a half of New Orleans Mardi Gras
traditions."

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_______

-Revolve around – e.g., "The way that we celebrate Mardi Gras now and for the
last 150 years revolves around what we call the krewe system."

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-Throw off – e.g., "Members must buy the trinkets, the throws, as we call them,
to throw off the floats."

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-Live out - e.g., "Mardi Gras lives out in people’s houses, on the streets, in the
halls, and in receptions."

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Comprehension Questions

1. What is a king cake, and what is traditionally hidden inside it?

A king cake is a traditional Mardi Gras pastry. Traditionally, a tiny baby

figurine or other trinket is baked inside. The person who gets the trinket has
obligations, such as buying next year’s king cake.

2. Meaning of Fat Tuesday: reflects the practice of the last night of

consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for the Christian fasting season of
Lent, during which the consumption of such foods is avoided.

2. What is the role of krewe organizations in Mardi Gras celebrations?

Krewes are social organizations responsible for organizing lavish balls and
parades. They have been central to Mardi Gras traditions for over 150 years

3. How does Mardi Gras contribute to the local economy?

Mardi Gras generates economic activity by employing people in costume-

making, float construction, and various trades such as carpentry,
welding, mechanics, and tire work.

4. What role does music play in Mardi Gras, according to Grammy-

winning artist Irvin Mayfield?

Irvin Mayfield explains that music is essential to Mardi Gras and is present in
parades, parties, receptions, and street celebrations. He also says that
musicians growing up in New Orleans are naturally shaped by Mardi Gras
traditions.

5. Why do some people consider making costumes for Mardi Gras

rewarding?

Costume makers like Sally Hedrick find it rewarding to see people gleaming
in their costumes, especially men, who usually don’t get to wear elaborate
outfits.

6. What does the Louisiana State Museum showcase about Mardi Gras
traditions?

The museum displays more than 150 years of Mardi Gras history, including
old costumes and a ball invitation from the 1850s, the oldest item in the
collection.

Debate Questions

3. Should cities continue to invest in large-scale cultural celebrations

like Mardi Gras, considering the high costs involved?
4. Does the commercialization of events like Mardi Gras take away
from their cultural and historical significance?

Phrasal verbs

1. Take place – To happen or occur.

-Example: Mardi Gras takes place every year before Lent.

2. Fill with – To make something full of a particular quality or thing.

-Example: The city fills with tourists during Carnival season.

3. Go for – To be sold for a particular price or to choose something.

-Example: Some Mardi Gras costumes go for more than $3,000.

4. Look back – To think about or review past events.

-Example: The museum helps visitors look back at Mardi Gras traditions.

5. Revolve around – To be centered on or focused on something.

-Example: Mardi Gras revolves around the krewe system.

6. Throw off – To throw something from a moving vehicle (in this case, a
float).

-Example: Parade participants throw off trinkets and beads to the crowd.

7. Live out – To experience something in reality rather than just imagining

it.

-Example: Mardi Gras lives out in people’s houses, on the streets, and in
celebrations.