Mardi Gras in New Orleans - Linguapress EFL (2024)

USA- Life

in New Orleans

NewOrleans, the great city at the mouth of the Mississippi is oneof the most colorful, most cosmopolitan and most European of Americancities.
Though very few people in the city nowspeak or understand much French, New Orleans prides itself on itsFrench heritage. The historic center of the city is known as the FrenchQuarter, and the city is famous across the United States for itsrestaurants and its "Mardi Gras" celebrations.
It is still one of America's greatports, where goods that have traveled down the Mississippi valley bybarge or by truck or by train are offloaded and trans-shipped, to beexported all over the world.

By John Robillard

► Forvocabularyguide see below

Mardi Gras, meaning literally"Fat Tuesday" was first celebrated in Louisiana by French colonists inthe eighteenth century. It was, in those days, a day of feasting beforethe start of Lent,the 40-day period leading up to Easter.
As the last "normal" day before theausterity of Lent, "fat Tuesday" was a day to make the most of,a day of carnivals, eating, drinking and revelry. It hasremained a day of carnival ever since; but the original Frenchcelebrations are just a small part of today's festivities. Mardi Gras,New Orleans style, owes as much to Afro-Caribbean customs and theLatin American carnival tradition as it does to the French colonistswho established it in their new city.
The Mardi Gras celebrations actually last for severalweeks. About a month before the main carnival, a season of elaborateballs and parties begins: the official Mardi Gras program is published,and shops start selling the very sweet and colorful "King Cake", adelicacy that can only be found during this holiday season.
In other parts of Louisiana, the firstMardi Gras parades actually take place three to four weeks before thebig carnival in New Orleans, and even in the city itself, smallerparades begin two weeks before the big day.
My first Mardi Gras party took place ina friend's apartment in New Orleans a few days before the parade. Theapartment was decorated out in the season's traditional colors ofgreen, gold and purple; the hi-fi system pounded out carnival music,while the guests danced, talked, and ate King Cake, washed down with"Blackened Voodoo Beer", another specialty brewed in a localbrewery.
On Fat Tuesday itself, I joined thehundreds of thousands of local people and visitors, to watch theprocessions wind theirway through the streets of New Orleans. The processionsare organized by groups called "Krewes", which each have mythologicalor historic names, such as Proteus, Endemion, or Bacchus. The one Iliked best was Zulu, a parade organized by members of the city's blackcommunity, resplendentwith its colorful ornate floatsand costumes based on African themes.
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect ofZulu and other parades was the "throws". As the floats move slowlythrough the crowds, tradition has it that those on them should throwall kinds of trinketsinto the crowd — plastic necklaces, engraved plastic cups,plastic medallions (a covetedprize) and other souvenirs. Most parade-goers do all they can to catchthese materially worthless items, and I found myself quickly caught upin the frenzy,scraping on the sidewalk among the surgingspectators to proudly pick up my plastic prize. In the heat of themoment, it's hard not to be caught up in the madness of this ritual, inspite of the worthlessness of the prizes!
Traditionally, people in New Orleans usethe "throw cups" they pick up, and decorate their cars or homes withthe other souvenirs they take home.
As a Yankee spending my first Mardi Grasin New Orleans, however, I made some mistakes in planning my time.There is so much going on at Carnival time, that you can't seeeverything, and I was disappointed not to see more of the city's famousDixieland jazzbands parading through the streets, but obviously I wasoften in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After a year, I know that I still have alot to learn about the customs, cultures and traditions of Mardi Grasin New Orleans. This year, I'll try and restrain myself during thethrows, so that I won't come home with a bagful of plastic objects thatI simply have to recycle. I'll let someone else have that pleasure!

WORDS:

to make the most of: to take maximum advantage from, to enjoy - revelry: partying,fun customs: habits, traditions - tolast : to endure, to survive - to brew:to make beer - windtheir way : move and turn - resplendent :shining, colorful - floats:wagons, carts - trinkets:kitsch, worthless objects - coveted:desired, wanted - frenzy:excitement - surging:all moving together

► Relatedarticles: TheMighty Mississippi ► MississippiMusic
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Comprehensionexercise

What factsdo you remember from the article?

1.What does Mardi Gras literally mean?
2. What is the name of the 40-day periodleading up to Easter?
3. Historically speaking, how was thelast "normal" day before this period spent?
4. Nowadays, when do the Mardi Grascelebrations start?
5. What is the name of the delicacyspecific to this holiday season?. Where is the big carnival held?
7. What are the season's traditionalcolors?
8. What is the name of the special beerpeople drink in New Orleans?
9. Who organizes the processions?
10. What are "throws"?

Interactivevocabulary exercise

Select the correct words of expressions for each box in this extract.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect ofZulu and other parades was the "throws". As the floats move slowlythrough the crowds, tradition(a is b is it c hasit) that(a them b those cthese ) on them should throwall kinds of trinkets(a at b in cinto) the crowd — plastic necklaces,engraved plastic cups,plastic medallions (a covetedprize) and(a other b others canothers) souvenirs. Most parade-goers do allthey can to catchthese materially worthless items, and I found(a me b mine cmyself) quickly caught upin the frenzy,scraping on the sidewalk(a among b forc through) the surgingspectators to proudly pick up my plastic prize. In the heat of themoment, it's hard(a not to be b not being c being not) caught up in the madness of thisritual, in(a account b spitec view ) of the worthlessness of theprizes!

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