Mardi Gras Celebrations

Mardi Gras in Mobile began in 1703. This date is long before the celebration was observed in New Orleans. For Mobilians, it is a time of festivity and frivolity. A way to pass the days of dreary winters until spring and summer return to the Gulf Coast.

The Mardi Gras tradition in Mobile actually begins in November, with various parading societies have balls on Thanksgiving evening. The celebration gradually picks up speed until those last 2 weeks before the beginning of the Lent season.

Today there are a lot different parading societies and it seems that more are being added every year. Most societies crown a Queen and court that are presented at its annual ball. The balls themselves are by invitation only and for those who do not belong to one of these mystic societies, the hunt for an invitation to a ball begins early in the year. The balls themselves are formal affairs and the dress code is strictly enforced. For men it includes a tuxedo and tails and women must wear ankle length dresses. Most but not all parading societies host their annual balls immediately following their parades.

Although Mardi Gras is not observed nationally, down south, particularly in Mobile, Al and New Orleans, La, everything comes to a halt on Mardi Gras. Court is not in session and most businesses, even the banks, close for Fat Tuesday. Although there seems to be a friendly competition between Mobile and New Orleans concerning Mardi Gras, each city celebrates the festivities in its own unique way. Of course, Mobile holds the title for the first city to have Mardi Gras, but no one can dispute the fact that New Orleans has the biggest celebration.

Each city offers something unique for the visitors who come in for the celebration. If you are bringing kids to enjoy the fun, then Mobile may be a better selection. The crowds are a bit tamer and you don't have to worry as much about what the kids might see or having to explain behavior, you had really rather not get into with your 8 or 9 year old child. On the other hand, if it's an animal party you are looking for then New Orleans is the city for you. Each night during Mardi Gras, the city lets its hair down and for the most part anything goes. Over in the French Quarter you can catch the annual drag queen beauty contests. Here some ladies display their various assets in exchange for beads. The French Quarter during in Mardi Gras is not somewhere you want to take the kids.

Moreover, the Mardi Gras fever appears to be contagious as well. For a long time the only places to really see parades and enjoy the fun were Mobile and New Orleans; however in the past decade that has really changed. Many smaller cities along the gulf coast now have parading societies. Gulf Shores, Al and Dauphin Island, Al are two cities that now have well-organized parades and the size of the crowds is pleasant and manageable. The parades in these cities are perfect for those who plan to bring small children.

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