G N I L L E C C A N RNI CA VAL :
Six Mardi Gras Maskers
The Times That Mardi Gras Was Called Off By Burke Bischoff
Few things are as synonymous with New Orleans’s identity as Mardi Gras. While Mobile may have been the first city in America to celebrate Carnival, popular culture recognizes New Orleans as the epicenter of American Mardi Gras, because traditions such as parades with floats and throws originated here. So when Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced on November 17, 2020, that no parades are allowed to roll for Carnival 2021 because of COVID-19, no doubt many heard that as Mardi Gras being officially cancelled for this year. While it’s certainly disheartening not to have familiar festive levity after the slog that was 2020, this is not the only time in the city’s history that Carnival parades were banned. 6
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most prevalent. Poor sanitation and a lack of understanding that stagnant a c water and n, an On M he r e w t o f o ir se the mosquitos becau ople held . pe helped to spread Many in costume ts the disease led New Orleans s tr e e to experience constant outbreaks. During Algiers F an 1878 epidemic that was tearing through the Lower loa Mississippi Valley, New Orleans saw 20,000 infections, 5,000 St. Roch, t in 1919 deaths, and about 20 percent of the city’s population leave. Therefore, in 1879, only Rex rolled on Mardi Gras Day, while Since its other krewes did not. inception in 1857, New When New Orleans entered into the 20th century, three Orleans Mardi Gras has either been cancelled or major wars hampered the city’s parade krewes. The first was massively scaled back 13 other times. There have when the United States got involved in World War I, which been instances of disease and local conflict putting a stopped Carnival in 1918. Plus, Spanish flu was in full force stop to parading, but most of the cancellations were triggered by war, the first instance being the Civil War. that same year, so that didn’t help the situation. With 54,000 infected and 3,500 deaths, it was no surprise that Mardi Gras New Orleans was, at the time, the largest city in the 1919 ended up not taking place. After that, World War II South, and its location on the Mississippi River made effectively knocked out parades from 1942 to 1945. And then, it an important lifeline for the Confederate Army, as in 1951, President Harry Truman declared a state of emergency well as a major target for the Union. This eventually because of the Korean War, thus cancelling the Comus, Rex, led to the city’s capture by Union forces and its new Proteus, and Momus parades again for that year. However, military governor, Benjamin Butler, imposing a harsh martial law during his control of the city. So, from 1862 many members of different krewes did end up getting together to throw a ball on Lundi Gras and to do one patriotic-themed to when the war ended in 1865, the Mistick Krewe of parade on Mardi Gras Day as the Krewe of Patria. Comus, the oldest and only New Orleans krewe at the Before the recent COVID-19 cancellation, the last time time, did not parade. parades didn’t roll in New Orleans was in 1979 because of a In 1875, during Reconstruction, both Comus and conflict between the New Orleans Police Department and Mayor the newly formed Rex decided not to parade, due to Ernest “Dutch” Morial. The Police Association of New Orleans civil unrest brought on by the Battle of Liberty Place. This event saw the Crescent City White League, pretty demanded a salary increase, which the mayor refused to give. In retaliation, NOPD decided to strike right before Mardi Gras much a local terrorist militia made up of Confederate Day, stopping Carnival dead in its tracks. As a result, many of veterans, attempting to overthrow the Louisiana state government. On September 14, 1874, 5,000 members the krewes either decided not to have a parade (including Rex, of the league stormed onto Canal Street, fought against Comus, and Zulu) or moved to neighboring parishes instead. While not having Mardi Gras parades this year does hurt in local police and state militia, and occupied City Hall and the moment, it has to be put into perspective. For a tradition parts of Downtown for three days. League members that has been going on for about 163 years, to have only 14 eventually left the city because federal troops were cancellations—and those usually because of a major national or being brought in as reinforcements. This conflict left world event—is pretty amazing. Even more remarkable is the more than 30 people dead and almost 80 injured. Just four years later, New Orleans found itself in the sheer resilience of New Orleanians. More often than not, even middle of a crisis that was all too familiar: yellow fever. when parades couldn’t happen, costume balls were still thrown, With it being a major port city, New Orleans was always people gathered in the streets for impromptu parades—Mardi Gras still happened. Carnival is in the city’s blood, so locals in contact with many ships, cargo, and crew from Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. This, in turn, won’t stop celebrating it, even if there are no parades or krewes. But still, let’s hope some floats and good times can roll left the city vulnerable to any foreign diseases that again in 2022. these ships carried, and yellow fever was one of the
St. Canarlade n o s a n ot p ration Celeb1919, Rex didr. Instead, u t p m a Imprordi Gras Day einntly ended wd roamed the
FROM TOP: THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, GIFT OF WALDEMAR S. NELSON, 2003.0182.407 / MARDI GRAS MASKERS; 2003.0182.160 / MASKERS; 2003.0182.268 / ALGIERS FLOAT
Revelers had spontaneous celebrations on Canal Street when festivities were cancelled in 19181919
