Meet & Greet (Mardi Gras style) - February 2015 Event Cache

This cache has been archived.

Bohica-NC: Time to archive...Thanks for the memories and see you at the next one...

More
Hidden : Saturday, February 21, 2015
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:


And the monthly "Meet & Greets" continue...During 2014, we met monthly at a different "international" restaurant and enjoyed the different cultures and customs it may have provided...For 2015, we will continue to meet monthly but with no set theme (as of yet)...Suggestions have been provided and this cacher will try to meet at different venues and maybe even try different ideas at the gatherings throughout the year...Around Fayetteville, weeknights are always hard to get local cachers together, so, in preparation for a possible weekend celebration, one such idea was presented, and thanks to gorfner, here you go:

WHEN: Saturday, 2/21/15, from 5:30pm to 7:00 pm

WHERE: Orlenian, 6105-A Yadkin Road

Some History of Carnival and Mardi Gras:
Do not confuse Carnival and Mardi Gras...

Carnival refers to the period of feasting and fun that begins on January 6, the Twelfth Night after Christmas, which is King's Day (Feast of the Epiphany)...King Cakes, which represent the coming of the wise men bearing gifts to the Christ Child, are still baked and eaten as part of the Twelfth Night celebration...A tiny baby is placed inside every King Cake....The person who receives the slice of cake with the baby is asked to continue the festivities by hosting the next King Cake party...

Mardi Gras refers to Fat Tuesday, the final day of revelry before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins...The date of Mardi Gras changes every year because it is connected to Easter, which can fall on any Sunday between March 23 and April 25...Mardi Gras is always scheduled to take place 47 days before Easter and this year Mardi Gras is Tuesday, February 17, 2015...

Parades play a major role in celebrating Mardi Gras...Most Mardi Gras krewes are developed from private social clubs with restrictive membership policies...Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by their members, the Mardi Gras parades are called the "Greatest Free Show on Earth"... Many krewes have a theme to their parade floats each year which is reflected by their costumes, floats, and some of their throws...In 1872 a group of businessmen (Krewe of Rex) invented a King of Carnival, REX, to preside over the first daytime parade...The first King of Carnival was Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff so the Romanoff's Family Colors...Purple (Justice)..Green (Faith), and Gold (Power) were introduced as Carnival's official colors...A new King Rex is appointed each year by the REX Organization...

Since its early days in New Orleans in the early eighteenth century, Mardi Gras has grown to colossal proportions and includes several traditions, like bead throwing, mask wearing, and coconut painting...

***The tradition of bead throwing started with their original Mardi Gras colors....Purple (Justice) Gold (Power), and Green (Faith)...The idea was to toss the colored beads to the person who exhibited the color's meaning...The beads were originally glass, which were not the best for tossing around...It was not until they were made of plastic that throwing them really became a major occurrence at Mardi Gras in New Orleans...
***The wearing of masks is an integral part of Mardi Gras culture...During early Mardi Gras celebrations hundreds of years ago, masks were a way for their wearers to escape class constraints and social demands...Mask wearers could mingle with people of all different classes and could be whomever they wanted, at least for a few days...In New Orleans, float riders are required by law to have a mask on...
***The Flambeau Tradition is carried on by the Krewe of Proteus Mardi Gras parade on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans...Flambeau, meaning flame-torch, was the tradition of people carrying shredded rope soaked in pitch through the streets so that nighttime revelers could enjoy festivities after dark...Crowds tossed coins at the torch carriers for lighting the way for the floats...Today, flambeau carriers have turned the tradition into something of a performance by dancing and spinning their kerosene lights...
***The Krewe of Zulu is one of the oldest traditionally black krewes - or parade hosts - in Mardi Gras history...The organization is known for handing out gold hand-painted coconuts as they travel down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans...

BONUS:
There is a special geocoin being designed for Mardi Gras 2015...Thanks to gorfner, there will be one design for North Carolina of the Venetian Mask V3 and he will have some at the event...The coin is one of 23 versions for the Venetian Mask v3 World Wide Event for this year...The cost for the coins will probably be $13...



Hopefully, the monthly events will continue to involve opportunities to meet old friends, new cachers, discover and/or retrieve trackables, and just exchange ideas and/or stories from fellow cachers...

Please indicate attendance so that we can properly plan for space...Some come early and some stay late...Either way, come out, hang out with some cachers, and earn a smiley...

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you at future events...

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



Advertising with Us

Inventory

There are no Trackables in this cache.

View past Trackables

What are Trackable Items?