Situated in the Deep South is the State of Louisiana where we have one of our antique furniture stores, and this region is famous for its rich and colorful European history. Named to honor King Louis XIV of France, Louisiana and many of its provinces (parishes as they are called here) retain that strong French influence. The capital city is named Baton Rouge, which in French means ~ “red stick”. As the story goes, the French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville visited the territory in the 1690s and spotted a red cypress post that gave the city its colorful name. Of course, everything does sounds better in French!
Today the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge are known for their festivities for Mardi Gras, the Jazz Festival, great food and of course, amazing antiques. The inception of Mardi Gras has its origins back in medieval times in Europe, and was a celebration revered by both Romans and Venetians during the 17 and 18th centuries. It was later embraced by the French court. The tradition of “Fat Tuesday” followed the French immigrants to the colonies, and from there, on to Louisiana where it is celebrated today with great vigor in the form of elaborate balls, stupendous parades and ubiquitous parties.
This past weekend and through today, Fat Tuesday, is that time for such festivities, and numerous festival merry-makers called krewes (pronounced “crews” which are elite societal clubs, some formed as many as hundreds of years ago), sponsor elaborate and lavish parades and masked balls. One of the most fabulous balls is the world famous and incredibly spectacular Bacchus Mardi Gras Ball that we have been privileged to enjoy several times.
The Krewe of Bacchus in 1968 broke with age-old carnival traditions and began conducting lavish parades on the Sunday night before “Fat Tuesday”, with grander and more magnificent floats than the other krewes, and featuring a celebrity King to lead the parade (which was a total departure from 113 years of New Orleans Carnival lore). This past Sunday we were again elated to be guests for this spectacular ball, now one of the most revered in Carnival history both past and present. The celebrity ruler presiding over this joyful night was celebrated actor King Hugh Laurie of the television show House. The mesmerizing musical highlight of the evening was the performance by triple platinum group Styx, who finished a truly amazing evening.
The wintertime, and especially Carnival season are great times to visit Louisiana to immerse oneself in the festivities, culture, antiques and history of this fascinating state!
As they say in Louisiana, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” ~ “Let the good times roll!”
