Editor Pick
Cajun Mardi Gras
- July 24, 2000
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Ailuri from Cincinnati, Ohio
This is NOTHING like the Mardi Gras experience in New Orleans. The Cajuns’ celebration involves the two biggest elements of Cajun culture- community and food. It all begins on Mardi Gras morning in the rural communities surrounding Lafayette, when men dressed in costumes made of torn rags ride on horseback from door to door requesting donations for the community gumbo. Residents gladly donate money, flour, seafood, or other ingredients, often asking for entertainment in exchange. Riders sing and dance to earn their donation, then continue on. If a family refuses to donate, the masked riders will 'kidnap' a family member - usually the wife or children- and hold them until a donation is given. Anyone driving through the small towns surrounding Lafayette should expect to be stopped by the riders blocking the road and demanding a donation. If you plan to go to Cajun Mardi Gras, remember to bring something- food or money- for the gumbo. The most amusing sight during all of this weirdness is when the riders stop at a farm and are told by the farmers that they can have a chicken, but they have to go catch it. Watching costumed men chasing chickens in a barnyard is definitely a unique and memorable experience. At the end of all this, the entire town shows up for a huge gumbo feast prepared in the center of town. There’s also a fais-do-do, a cajun dance party.
To see these events, head out to areas like Eunice, Iota, or Church Point - or any of the other small communities surrounding Lafayette. Some of the communities, including Lafayette itself, also hold parades and other entertainment throughout the day.
From journal Lafayette- the Heart of Cajun Country