Mardi Gras season kicks off with king cakes and streetcar rides
Costumed revelers bring back traditional Carnival activity in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS - People in greater New Orleans braved the cold and rain Friday to mark the start of the Mardi Gras season, standing in windy lines before dawn to buy celebratory cakes and closing the evening on a rainy night with costumed streetcar rides.
The holiday season begins on Epiphany, commemorating the day the Bible says the three wise men reached the baby Jesus. Fat Tuesday, which marks the culmination of Mardi Gras season, falls on Feb. 28.
Across the city, people bought king cake, a traditional holiday bakery treat, to bring to their offices or home to share with family. The doughy dessert bread — often flavored with a ring of cinnamon or stuffed with fillings — generally comes shaped in a ring and is decorated with the New Orleans Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.
Dozens of people lined up outside Manny Randazzo King Cakes in Metairie when the doors opened at 6:30 a.m.
“My wife and the people at work love them, so I usually pick one up for work on the first day of Carnival and then bring one home,” Richard Gunther said. “These don’t stay around long when you bring them to the office.”
The first day of Carnival is generally closed out by the Phunny Phorty Phellows, a historic Mardi Gras krewe, which marks the season with a ride on a streetcar that goes along the traditional St. Charles Street parade route in New Orleans. This year another group calling itself the “Societe des Champs Elysee” rode the Rampart-St. Claude streetcar line, which just opened last fall, to commemorate the season as well.
Wearing masks and festive costumes, they honored their king and queen at a neighborhood bar and danced as a brass band played “Carnival
The holiday season begins on Epiphany, the day the Bible says the three wise men reached the baby Jesus. Fat Tuesday falls on Feb. 28.
Time,” before boarding their red streetcar.
David Roe, who helped organize the streetcar ride, said it was a way to bring a new Carnival activity back to the neighborhood. Plus, he said, “we like to have a party.”
Judy Clymens, a New Orleans resident, was wearing a tiny tiara as she gathered with the crowd before boarding the streetcar.
“It’s the inaugural ride. It’s wonderful. It’s fantastic,” she said. “We have a parade for virtually everything.”