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Printable information sheet to attach to Cache Carnival Trackable
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Mardi Gras in Colonial America was first celebrated in 1703 in Mobile, Alabama (the hometown of this geo coin) a year after the founding of the city by the French. This was a full 15 years before New Orleans was even founded.
1704 marked the first masked ball and the first mystic society, Societé de Saint Louise.
The Boeuf Gras Society conducted the first parade down Dauphin Street in 1711 with a representation of a giant bull’s head on wheels, symbolism of the fatted bull was used in ancient Carnival celebrations in France.
In 1830, cotton factor Michael Krafft and a group of revelers paraded through the streets of Mobile, carrying cowbells and rakes causing a general ruckus until arriving at the mayors house and being invited in for some more libations and impromptu feast. This celebration marked the foundation of the Cowbellion de Rakin Society. The society continued its annual parades on New Year’s Eve, and by 1837, the group was throwing small gifts to the crowds that would gather to observe the spectacle. Throws of beads, moonpies, dabloons, plastic trinkets and stuffed animals continues today. In 1835 Krafft and krew took the parading tradition to New Orleans and founded the Krew of Comus.
Following downtime during the Civil War and subsequent Northern occupation, Joseph Stillwell Cain revived the parade tradition of Mobile Mardi Gras in 1867, riding in a decorated charcoal wagon dressed as a Native America Indian War Chief Slacabamorinico, along with six fellow Confederate veterans, in an attempt to raise the morale of the repressed city. Since 1966 Joe Cain day is officially celebrated the Sunday before Fat Tuesday with a people's parade, drinking and general revelry and unrule.
War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades and festivities, especially during the Civil War, World War I, World War II and most recently in 2021 with the COVID 19 pandemic.
More information on Mobile Mardi Gras can be found at http://www.mobilemask.com .
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