Entertainment by:
Roy Roberts and band, Tony Drake, and Milton Zschiedrich

 

 

The History of Mardi Gras

The celebration of Mardi Gras came to North America from France where it had been celebrated since the Middle Ages. In 1699, French explorer Iberville and his men explored the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. On a spot 60 miles south of the present location of New Orleans, they set up camp on the river’s West Bank. Knowing that the day, March 3, was being celebrated as a major holiday in Paris, they christened the site Point du Mardi Gras.

In the early 19th Century, the public celebration of Mardi Gras consisted mainly of maskers on foot, in carriages and on horseback. In 1837, a costumed group of revelers walked in the first documented “parade”, but the violent behavior of maskers during the next two decades caused the press to call for an end to Mardi Gras. Fortunately, six New Orleanians who were former members of the Cowbellians, a group that presented New Years Eve parades in Mobile, Al, saved the New Orleans Mardi Gras by forming the Comus organization in 1857. The men beautified the celebration and proved that it could be enjoyed in a safe manner. Comus coined the word “Krewe” and established several Mardi Gras traditions by forming a secret Carnival society, choosing a mythological namesake, presenting a themed parade with floats and costumed maskers, and staging a tableau ball following its parade.

Carnival’s growth has continued throughout the years with the birth and death of many parading Krewes. More than one dozen clubs have featured celebrities in their parades. Doubloons lost some of their luster as several Krewes stopped minting them. Krewe-emblemed throws of every imaginable variety gained popularity, however, with imprinted cups leading the pack. Perhaps the greatest change in Mardi Gras has been the tremendous increase in tourism during the Carnival season. Conventions which once had avoided New Orleans at Mardi Gras, used the celebration as a reason to assemble here. International media attention in focused on Mardi Gras, with camera crews from Japan, Europe and Latin America showcasing the festivities. Mardi Gras has become a year-round industry as more off season conventions experienced the joys of Carnival when they were treated to mini-parades and repeat balls held in the city’s convention facilities.

The History of King Cakes

In New Orleans revelry and religious tradition are the ties that bind during Mardi Gras. Thus, it’s not surprising that the origin of the modern King Cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when popular devotion during Christmas turned to the Three Wise Men, or Kings, who had followed a star and paid homage to Christ. Epiphany, the end of the Christmas celebration and the 12th night after the birth of Christ, came to be known as “Twelfth Night”, a time for pageants and giving special “King” presents to children.

Today in New Orleans, the King Cake is an oval-shaped braided coffee cake which is decorated with cinnamon sugar in the official Mardi Gras colors – gold (for power), green (faith), and purple (justice) – and contains a tiny plastic baby that has replaced the coin used in medieval times. The person that gets the slice of cake with the baby in it must host the next party; at some parties, they are crowned king or queen. The cake, a gift shared by family, friends and revelers alike, is eaten between the Twelfth Night and Fat Tuesday, the beginning of Lent. However, the cake often begins appearing during Christmas.

What is Jambalaya?

Similar in many ways to Spanish paella, the term "jambalaya" is derived from the Spanish jamon for ham. It's pronuced "jahm-buh-LIE-uh" or "jum-buh-LIE-uh". Jambalaya found its way into Creole cookery in the late 1700's where it soon took on the flavor of added local ingredients. There are other stories of the jambalaya "myth," but the favorite comes from the Webster's dictionary which defines the word as French Louisiana for a mixture of diverse elements.

What is Jambalaya? Today it is a Cajun/Creole dish made from a mixture of meats, rice and seasonings blended to produce a delicious dish. It can be made (separately or all together) with ham, chicken, sausage, fresh pork, shrimp and oysters, to which is added shortening, rice, onion, garlic, pepper and other seasonings.

Starting with church fairs, which were the largest public gatherings at the turn of the century, Jambalaya emerged from small quantity indoor cooking to become the ideal dish for outdoor cooking over hardwood fires. Big black cast iron pots made preparation so easy and economical for church use that Jambalaya was rapidly adapted for political rallies, weddings, family reunions and other affairs. No fair or political rally around Gonzales is complete without Jambalaya cooking.

The Jambalaya Festival and World Champion Jambalaya Cooking contest is held annually in Gonzales, Louisiana. Jambalaya is economical to prepare and can be cooked in a one quart pot indoors or in a 30 gallon black pot.

Jambalaya cooking is an art that must be perfected to acquire a superb blend of flavor with proper consistency. Area cooks practice continually to perfect Jambalaya that will win the title "World Champion." As you might imagine, competition is keen as many cooks vie for this prestigious title. Many champions have cooked at other festivals, for foreign leaders as well as presidents of the United States. Gonzales is the Jambalaya Capital of The World.

2012 Sponsors
BB&T	Senn Dunn Insurance
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP	Butler & Burke, LLP/CPAs
Millennium Center	Bell • Davis • Pitt - Attorneys & Counselors at Law
Reynolds American, Inc.	Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice
Truliant Federal Credit Union	The Christmas Depot, Inc.
Mrs. Copey Hanes	Pope Companies, Kernersville, NC
Village Tavern, Reynolda	Old Salem, Winkler’s Bakery
Service First Express, Inc.