Mardi Gras Part 2: It's Krewe Not Crew
As it is Mardi Gras season, I am taking a couple of blog posts to share what I have learned about this holiday. Part one of my mini trilogy can be found here:
The last two years I have lived in Louisiana (one year of that in New Orleans) and in that time frame I have learned soo much about Mardi Gras that I had no clue about living in Massachusetts. Not going to lie… the stereotype I had in mind involved a lot of highly intoxicated people running around with very little-to-no clothes on. Though this may be true for the tourists in the French Quarter, for the most part, Mardi Gras is a family affair that everyone gets extremely involved in. For the hard core locals: the thing to do is join a Krewe.
What is a Krewe you ask?
Well first up it is pronounced like the word “crew.” Basically it is like an adult exclusive social club. Every Mardi Gras parade is run by its own Krewe. Each member of the Krewe pays dues and attends meetings throughout the year to help plan for the event. The members of the Krewe are also the people you see on the floats throwing beads.
The more I learn about this, the more fascinating it becomes. Krewes have the right to be exclusive. For example: I have heard of an all female Krewe and a Military/Veteran only Krewe. There are also Krewes that you need to be a legacy of in order to join (aka must be related to someone already in the Krewe!) Depending on how popular the parade is will result in the exclusivity of the Krewe and how expensive the dues are. In other words: popular parade = hard to get into and might cost you a pretty penny.
Honestly it reminds me of an adult sorority/fraternity system!
People take this Krewe business very seriously! I have multiple coworkers who are in a Krewe and they talk about them all year round! One of my coworkers has his daughter in the parade this year as a "Queen" and he told me he paid thousands of dollars to make that happen (Krewe fees, the costume, the beads, etc). It almost seems like a debutant's coming out event to be a Queen in a parade!
So I have brought up beads a couple times here. First off beads (and other items at the parade) are referred to as "throws." When I first moved down here, before I saw my first Louisiana parade, I was told, " It is not a real parade unless there are throws!" I don't think I fully grasped this concept until my boyfriend and I came home with 25 POUNDS of beads our first Mardi Gras! I kid you not… our necks were so sore from the weight of the beads by the end of the night!
The "throws" are not provided by the Krewe, but are purchased by each individual Krewe member. They sell "Throw Packages" that can get up to thousands of dollars!!! I warned you when I said people take this seriously!! Just with a quick Google search I found a package that includes hundreds of beads, foam footballs, garters (like what!?), stuffed roses, foam swords… and the list goes on. In case you are curious what else comes in a "Throw Package" you can check one out here. Did I mention this specific one cost $750!?
The last major thing a Krewe is responsible for is planning a Ball! Like Cinderella-style, formal-floor-length-dress, classy event Ball! For this topic… stay tuned for next weeks final Mardi Gras post: Mardi Gras Part 3: It All Ends in a Ball. <3 WC
What is a Krewe you ask?
Well first up it is pronounced like the word “crew.” Basically it is like an adult exclusive social club. Every Mardi Gras parade is run by its own Krewe. Each member of the Krewe pays dues and attends meetings throughout the year to help plan for the event. The members of the Krewe are also the people you see on the floats throwing beads.
The more I learn about this, the more fascinating it becomes. Krewes have the right to be exclusive. For example: I have heard of an all female Krewe and a Military/Veteran only Krewe. There are also Krewes that you need to be a legacy of in order to join (aka must be related to someone already in the Krewe!) Depending on how popular the parade is will result in the exclusivity of the Krewe and how expensive the dues are. In other words: popular parade = hard to get into and might cost you a pretty penny.
Honestly it reminds me of an adult sorority/fraternity system!
People take this Krewe business very seriously! I have multiple coworkers who are in a Krewe and they talk about them all year round! One of my coworkers has his daughter in the parade this year as a "Queen" and he told me he paid thousands of dollars to make that happen (Krewe fees, the costume, the beads, etc). It almost seems like a debutant's coming out event to be a Queen in a parade!
(This is a picture example of what the "Queen" looks like)
So I have brought up beads a couple times here. First off beads (and other items at the parade) are referred to as "throws." When I first moved down here, before I saw my first Louisiana parade, I was told, " It is not a real parade unless there are throws!" I don't think I fully grasped this concept until my boyfriend and I came home with 25 POUNDS of beads our first Mardi Gras! I kid you not… our necks were so sore from the weight of the beads by the end of the night!
The last major thing a Krewe is responsible for is planning a Ball! Like Cinderella-style, formal-floor-length-dress, classy event Ball! For this topic… stay tuned for next weeks final Mardi Gras post: Mardi Gras Part 3: It All Ends in a Ball. <3 WC
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