Paris’s Petit Mardi Gras Parade

I really debated if I should even write about this topic, frankly because it was so minuscule in comparison to the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans that I grew up knowing and attending since childhood. I hate to make a comparison here, and there really can’t be,  because it sounds down right uppity, and exceedingly chauvinistic.

Though Mardi Gras is indeed a French word and tradition,  unfortunately this pre Lenten festival was long ago suppressed for the most part, with a few exceptions here.    Fortunately for America, French settlers who carved out the Louisiana Purchase carried on the tradition, which has tremendously flourished  in New Orleans, south Louisiana, and now has spread to north Louisiana.

A lot of people assume that almost everywhere in France, Mardi Gras would still be a big event, as it is in Venice.  With the exception of Nice and Dunkerque,  France has for the most part sadly forgotten Carnival, and all the festivities that surrounded the occasion.

In Alsace Lorraine I would see mention of carnival costumes for sale for children’s school parties and a few town had small parades, along with bordering villages of Germany.

The French used to have marvellous and huge celebrations in Paris,  and elsewhere in small villages, dating back several centuries, until the political upheaval around the French revolution caused the mayor of Paris to cancel Mardi Gras in 1790 and a long suppression of the holiday ensued, until some attempts of revival in the late 1800’s.

There are written accounts dating back to 1589 and 1658, that described the extent of the festivities that took place in Paris.  One talks of over 3,000 carriages carrying gayly masqued celebrants that saturated and blocked the entrance of Rue Saint Antoine.

The earlier account describes the debauchery of the time with naked masked revellers around les Halles grabbing  various fruits and vegetables to dangle from their bodies.  From what I have witnessed in New Orleans though, not much has changed!

Mardi Gras celebrations in France, since the suppression have struggled to survive, especially in Paris, which use to have the largest in France.  Nice has succeeded in reestablishing a wonderfully large one, that attracts quite a crowd and is famous for the their flower parade.

Dunkerque, a northern French city on the english channel has a large and well attended celebration too. It reportedly is  one of the most quirkiest, with celebrants at city hall throwing smoked herrings to the crowds below.

There are several French organizations trying to bring back Mardi Gras as a real holiday celebration, one of which is in Paris, which put on the parade yesterday.  They will also have a mid Lenten parade on March 15, 2015, celebrating women, which used to be a historic fun filled march of all the washer women of the city, called “les lessiveuses” as seen in the old postcard.

The  recent edition of their brave attempt to bring back a  Mardi Gras parade was yesterday. I would have not known about it at all, if I did not have my blog, which  pushes me to seek out the very ends and outs of whats happening here in Paris, however small in scale.

Mardi Gras in French means fat Tuesday, and Carnival comes for the latin, carne “flesh” and levare “leave off”.  This of course stems from meaning the last day of having rich fatty meats before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.

Special beignets with slits in the middle are called Merveilles, and they were certainly a forerunner of the famed New Orleans beignets enjoyed every day in New Orleans.

Though much has changed in so far as Lenten fasting for the majority of Roman Catholics, our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters still follow rigorous Lenten fasts days up until Easter.

If there were posters around the city advertising the Paris parade, I did not notice them, only learning about it via the net.  Sadly, there was not much in the media either, as I usually see for the Chinese new year parades that attracts thousands.

Yesterday was really a typical very grey cold winter day, that lent more towards a long Sunday afternoon snooze that galloping about.  Not feeling very much into the Mardi Gras spirit, I nevertheless wanted to see my first Mardi Gras parade here.

I decided not bother to follow it from the beginning at Gambetta in the 20th arrondissement , but opted to catch them flowing into their last stretch heading toward Place de la République. That way I could spend some time preparing my Sunday dessert, before I left.

By the time I arrived around 5pm, it was pretty obvious that the majority of people milling around République had no idea that a parade was coming their way.  The only tip off was the presence of several vendors hawking balloons , selling trinkets and stands set up for crepes, hot dogs and merquez sausages.

It was only till the approaching sound of a band playing  in the distance on Rue Faubourg du Temple, and the flashing blue lights of a preceding police car, that folks took notice and finally started to congregate on the sidewalks.

Only when the drum beats became more pronounced and imminent, did the crowd thicken along the streets.  As usual, and this never fails to happen to me; people start to dart in front of me because of my personal space as an American seemingly creates a larger corridor of space, that other nationalities do not leave open.

Finding myself  perturbed by this again, but being the kind and docile human being that I am, I  ended up being somewhat pushed back from my initial front row station.  It wasn’t the French elbowing into me, but other nationalities that I would prefer not to mention.

There were a few towering animated figures fluttering about in the air, but I did not see any floats.  There were also just a scattering of masqueraders, who added some colour and gaiety.

The drummers were beating their batons as fast and furiously as I have seen in New Orleans, and least some had theme costumes.  Without a doubt, it was several Latin American troops of dancers who twirled about in brightly coloured intricate costumes that made it look even more like a parade.

After about 50 minutes, it dwindled down to a stop.  I felt sad that this once glorious French holiday tradition had come to this, yet grateful that at least there are attempts at renewal.  I applaud those who courageously are trying to revive it in Paris!

Perhaps, had I not have been accustomed to monumental and immense multi floats, floods of  playing bands, frenzied crowds trying to snatch beaded necklaces and trinkets and the complete exhilaration that comes with being a part of  any New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, I would have come away completely entertained.

Coming from a New Orleans perspective, I couldn’t help to be  predisposed to be prejudiced.  Given that , it would be totally wrong for me to compare the tremendous efforts shown yesterday to resurrect a once proud and commendable celebration of French origin..

If there is to be any consolation amongst the French, their original Mardi Gras glory is still preserved and is very much alive and well across the pond, in the capital of their former colony.

After all, the second most glorious Mardi Gras  in the world,  after Rio, is in New Orleans, Louisiana!  It would be fun to be back tomorrow in all the craziness!   As they say back home; Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!