Students prepare to ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ at Mardi Gras

Xavier Manning
MC301 Contributor

Laissez les bons temps rouler is a Cajun expression meaning “Let the good times roll!” and students at Jackson State University plan to do just that.

Mardi Gras 2016 festivities will officially begin on Feb. 5 and end on Feb. 9, Fat Tuesday.

New Orleans, La. and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi are two of the main locations visitors will converge on to attend parades and other festivities.

According to www.mardigrasneworleans.com, in the 1730s, Mardi Gras was first celebrated in New Orleans, but not with parades. In the early 1740s, the governor of Louisiana, Marquis de Vaudreuil, established the first elegant Mardi Gras ball, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.

By the late 1830s, New Orleans held processions on the streets with masks and with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. Over the years, Mardi Gras traditions have changed. The modern day traditions consist of parades orchestrated by krewes or organizations that put on parades or balls for the Carnival season.

Each parade has a different theme; some may be named after Greek gods, zodiac signs or tribes. One of the most known traditions for the parades is the throwing of colorful beads and trinkets to parade goers, some of whom go to extremes to get the most and best beads.

In the past, Mardi Gras was violent day for many Mardi Gras Indians. It was the day to settle all of the issues. Today when to Mardi Gras Indian tribes pass one another, you will see a living art and culture. All of the tribes have different styles for the way they dress in a competitive way. In the parades you will see the big chiefs starting off the chants and dances according to www.mardigrasneworleans.com.

Keyandre Haywood, a freshman accounting major from Mound Bayou, Miss. said, “I didn’t know there is so much history behind the meaning of Mardi Gras. Now I see why people really celebrate the holiday.”

For those attending Mardi Gras, expect to see a lot of crazy costumes and large crowds of people from all parts of the world.

And don’t forget to partake of the king cake, which is only available during the Mardi Gras season.  This braided, bread type dough is laced with cinnamon and glazed with purple, green and gold sugar or covered in icing in those same Mardi Gras colors. What separates king cake from other desserts is the small plastic baby hidden inside. Whoever finds the baby in his or her slice must buy the next cake or perhaps host the next party.

“I love everything about Mardi Gras. I was born and raised on celebrating Mardi Gras. Living in Louisiana, it is apart of our culture to celebrate our history in our state of Louisiana,” said R’ymni Watson, a freshman theater and speech communications major from Baton Rouge, La.