In the rural Acadiana area, many Cajuns celebrate with the Courir de Mardi Gras, a tradition that dates to medieval celebrations in France. The rural Mardi Gras celebration is based on early begging rituals, similar to those still celebrated by mummers, wassailers and celebrants of Halloween. As Mardi Gras is the celebration of the final day before Lent, celebrants drink and eat heavily, and also dress in specialized costumes, ostensibly to protect their identities. Popular practices include wearing masks, capuchons, and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, drinking alcohol, begging, feasting, whipping, etc. Because of violent activities associated with the Ku Klux Klan, Louisiana has a state law prohibiting the wearing of hoods and masks in public. Mardi Gras is one of the few occasions when exceptions are allowed, as are Halloween celebrations and religious observances. Two HBO series (the crime drama True Detective and the post Hurricane Katrina themed Treme) make reference to the tradition.
These origins are in the customs of Catholic Medieval Europe, specifically the fête de la quémande ("feast of begging") of medieval France. During the fête, which was a time when begging from house to house was a socially acceptable behavior, disguised revelers would go through the countryside visiting households and performing for offerings. This is similar to other contemporary traditional European customs such as mumming and wassailing which usually occur around Christmas, New Year's, and Epiphany. These traditions originated in a time when most of the land and money was held by the upper classes. The poor, at the end of long winters and short on food, would gather in groups and make their way from castle to manor house to beg for food from the wealthy, dancing and singing in return for the generosity of the nobles. French medieval carnival celebrations also featured contests and races, which may be the origins of the chicken chase associated with the courir. These traditions were carried to North America by European immigrants during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the mid to late 18th century when the Acadian settlers of the Canadian Maritimes were forcibly deported by the English, many made their way to South Louisiana, settling what would become known as the Acadiana region. The Cajuns, as they would become known to the rest of the world, have held on to many of their traditional customs, including their language (Acadian French became Cajun French), music, dances and religious festivals such as the courir. This determination to hold on to their religious customs and faith has been a major factor in creating the atmosphere that has allowed for the celebration of life, or "la joie de vivre," that is so characteristic of Cajun life and culture in South Louisiana.
People escape from ordinary life through the alcohol and the roles they portray in costume. In the early morning the riders or runners or Mardi Gras (as the troop and its individual members are known) gather in a central meeting place. As they gather, Le Capitaine (the leader of the Mardi Gras) and his co-capitaines explain the rules and traditions that must be followed. The Capitaine usually rides on horseback, wears a cape and carries a small flag. After he organizes the troop, the bands begin to play and he leads them on the route. Traditions vary in each town with the way it is carried out. Some towns have people on horse back, some on trailers and some on foot, and others use a variation of all three methods. The Capitaine is the first to approach the houses along the route, to ask permission to enter onto their property. Once they are on the property, the revelers play a variety of pranks on the farmers and beg for food for the communal gumbo that lies at the end of the route. A prize ingredient is a live chicken, which is usually thrown into the air for the drunken Mardi Gras to chase through the muddy yards and fields.
In Church Point the rural Mardi Gras is basically the same as it was in the old days of the early settlers. In 1961 Elton Richard formally organized the event, which until then had been individual, independent groups of riders. Only men are permitted to participate in the run, and all Mardi Gras must be fully masked and costumed. The Capitaine holds his position as leader for year after year, until he decides to relinquish it. He appoints his co-capitaines who, like himself, must not be masked. The Church Point Courir is held on the Sunday before Mardi Gras, a consequence of the formal organization in 1961. Elton Richard and Senator Paul Tate of Mamou flipped a coin to see who would have their official courir on Mardi Gras Day. Mamou won and as a result the Church Point Mardi Gras is on Sunday.
Our RV Park host, Betty, has had a standing invitation to bring her guests to Church Point to enjoy the Courir de Mardi Gras at a farm in Church Point. We all got up early on Sunday, February 11, 2018, and left our RV park in Abbeville at 8 am in order to get to Church Point by 9 am. It was a cold, rainy, windy day, but we were in high spirits (in more ways than one):
Rains from the prior day made the farm a muddy mess, and all of our vehicles dug wet ruts in the ground. Some vehicles got stuck.
Guests at the farm came in all forms of regalia, including full Mardi Gras dress:
Our day featured a pig roast in a traditional outdoor smoker oven:
Our hosts, Ms. Kate and Brian, even made a big pot of gumbo for their guests:
The chickens were the honorary guests. Little did they know what sort of fate awaited them - to be chased down in muddy fields by drunken revelers:
Most of us came dressed for rain, although most of us failed to realize how cold it would be with the rain. We all shivered. Most of us had footware suitable for mud, but our friend Dodo presented the most creative footware:
Here is the Captaine of the Krewe of revellers, on horseback, requesting permission from Ms. Kate (in green and yellow and the feathered hat) and Brian (in blue and boots on the right) to enter upon the property:
The chickens were released, one by one, and the drunken revellers, all in costumes with masks, chased them down in muddy splendor:
Importantly, the chickens were not mistreated. Here is one of the revellers, holding his chicken very carefully and proudly. The chickens did not actually end up in the gumbo, but were transported to a nearby farm.
Once the chickens had been captured, the revellers returned to their horses and floats and proceeded down the road. Here, the Captaine leads them away from our farm:
The horses and revellers and floats came in all combinations:
Some of the horse-borne revellers even tried to throw beads to the parade-goers:
However, the main attraction of the parade was the floats, filled to overflowing (and potential tipover) with celebrants who tossed beads to the onlookers:
Our onlookers didn't do so badly. Here, Kathy and Susan show off their beadly booty:
Susan and Dan made a comely pair parade-side:
Kathy and David (no, not us), also sported very magnificent bead collections:
By the time we left Church Point in late afternoon, we were exhausted, cold and ready to warm ourselves at Happy Hour and recount our respective tales of celebration and victory.
But it was not even yet Mardi Gras! This was Sunday and Mardi Gras would be Tuesday. We had more celebrations to come.
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