When the parades roll and the balls are over, the preparation for next year begins.
Once Christmas and New Year’s Day have come and gone, many take a deep breath and bid farewell to the holiday season.
Epiphany, January 6th, is the official end of the Christmas season, but then it’s on to “laissez le bon temps rouler, y’all,” as Mardi Gras season mambos its way along the Gulf Coast.
Mardi Gras is typically thought of as a uniquely New Orleans event, however; the culture of Carnival is booming along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Parade culture on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
“We’re kind of sandwiched between where Mardi Gras started in Mobile and where it was made famous in New Orleans,” said Krewe of Gemini Ball Captain Shellie Moses. “So, we have a lot of like-minded traditions.”
What really sets a Mississippi Gulf Coast Mardi Gras celebration apart from those in Mobile or New Orleans is the parade atmosphere, according to Moses.
“We’re very family friendly,” Moses added. “When you come down to the Gulf Coast to experience Mardi Gras, you don’t have to worry about the safety of your children as much.”
That means that the throws at the parades will be as full of candy and beads for the kids as possible, as opposed to what Moses called “unfortunate stigmas” that happen in other areas.
“Nearly every city (along the Gulf Coast) will have at least a parade,” Moses said.
No two parades are alike either, as some are day parades, night parades, kid-focused parades, golf-cart parades and even pet parades. Aside from the city parades, some krewes will also hold their own individual parades, and some will even host a day parade and a night parade.
Leadership among the krewes can be family oriented as well, with krewes like Krewe of Gemini having a family legacy.
“My mother was the krewe captain for eleven years,” said Moses. “Then she started training me, and when she retired, I took the reins. That’s seven years ago now.”
The Ball rolls year-round on the Coast
The Mardi Gras Ball is another chapter in the story of Carnival along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. When you imagine a ball, you may think of a night of fun and glamor but for folks like Moses, the ball is a lifestyle.
“I’m already working on the next one for 2024,” said Moses. “This is a pretty much year-round job. This one (2023) has not even taken place yet and I’m already working on concepts and planning for 2024.”
There’s more than hiring a DJ or figuring out catering for these events. Each krewe uses the opening moments of their ball to recognize their royalty for the year, with a presentation of the tableau or court and the crowning of the King and Queen.
“Each krewe, each Mardi Gras Ball, is different,” said Moses. “Some krewes open the evening with troops within the krewe that perform different dances, we call them ‘skits’ that somehow represent the theme of the year.”
The krewes that have choreographed skits are most often the all-female krewes.
“Trying to get the men to do a skit? You can forget that,” Moses joked.
But not all krewes have the troops performing different skits. Krewe of Gemini, for example, invite youth dance groups to come and perform to open the night before the coronation of the royalty.
“Every krewe does have their maids and their dukes which are being presented,” said Moses. “And they’ll do this leading up to the crowning of the King and Queen.”
The pageantry involved with presenting the court and its King and Queen is more like a production, a work of art, than it is a calling of names.
“I pretty much design the concepts,” said Moses. “And then I get with the seamstress, and she comes up with the designs for the dresses and together we make the magic happen.”
None of the dresses for the krewe royalty will be found on the rack and you won’t be seeing them on some influencer or model.
“These are custom-made dresses,” said Moses.
Elaborate, beautiful, stunning, eccentric. These gowns are over the top both in design and in price.
“It depends, because every dress is so different,” said Moses. “But generally, ours go for anywhere in the neighborhood of about five thousand dollars.”
The coronation for the couples that become King and Queen in the Krewe of Gemini is just as special as their wedding celebrations – a fact that is reflected in what they’re willing to pay and do to be ready for the night of the ball.
“One of my maids this year told me she paid more for her dress this year than she did her wedding gown,” Moses said. “But she said she looks fabulous in it and therefore doesn’t mind.”
Mississippi Mardi Gras gives back
At the end of the evening, the dresses are hung up, the lights are turned back on, and the preparation for the next ball begins.
But one of the most unique things about the culture of Mardi Gras in Mississippi is that the fun doesn’t stop when the party ends, because each krewe does what it can to give back to the community.
“Some krewes raise money for churches, schools, or other worthwhile organizations,” said Moses.
Krewe of Gemini is involved in the Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, Cruisin’ the Coast, and even provides two scholarships a year to local graduates.
So, when you think about Mardi Gras, think about Mississippi and come on down to experience it yourself.
Click here to find a 2023 Mississippi Gulf Coast Mardi Gras celebration.
