A Texas-Sized Mardi Gras Celebration

Statement

A Texas-Sized Mardi Gras Celebration

By: Sen. John Cornyn

History tells us that Mardi Gras' roots may have began in ancient Rome as a mid-February festival known as "Lupercalia." The celebration was in honor of the god Lupercus, the god of fertility, agriculture and pastoral shepherds, and had Mardi Gras-like observances, including days of feasting. The celebration eventually spread across Europe, and it was the French who brought Mardi Gras to New Orleans in the late 1600s, which was firmly rooted in the city's culture by the mid 1820s.

Mardi Gras, a French expression that literally means "Fat Tuesday," arose from the custom of parading a fat ox through the streets on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Now it is a days-long celebration of indulgence prior to Ash Wednesday, most famously celebrated in New Orleans.

Many countries and cities have their own special traditions prior to Lent. For almost 150 years, we have been celebrating our own Texas-sized Mardi Gras celebration, the largest celebration of its kind in Texas. This year, Mardi Gras! Galveston commemorates its 98th event since its inception in 1867.

The first Mardi Gras! Galveston was a prestigious and colorful affair in that it included a masked ball and a theatrical reenactment of Shakespeare's King Henry IV. One bystander described an 1867 parade by saying it "suddenly sprang out from the bowels of the earth with torch lights, cars and horses." However, it was not until 1871 that the event was celebrated in a massive fashion. A year later, newspaper reports declared that the following year's grand Mardi Gras "promised to eclipse anything ever attempted on Texas soil."

Over the years, the parade carriages grew in splendor, and were soon replaced by automobiles. The glittering balls became more ostentatious. Soon Mardi Gras! Galveston became a grand attraction, with each year becoming more extravagant than the last.

To the dismay of many, the longtime tradition came to a close in 1941 during World War II. For more than 40 years, Galvestonians celebrated Mardi Gras unofficially on their own, with individuals or organizations hosting private parties. In 1985, the citywide merriment was revived by Galveston residents George and Cynthia Mitchell, and the tradition is still going strong 24 years after the revival.

An annual event hosted by the City of Galveston, this year's celebration included 12 days of entertainment, beginning February 13th and continuing all the way up to Fat Tuesday - February 24th. During this period, Galveston Island came alive with more than 50 galas and events and 11 extravagant parades.

Each year, revelers can be seen donning elaborate masks and costumes. Live entertainment, featuring everything from Cajun and salsa to jazz and rock and roll, can be heard late into the night, and the festivities are not complete without mention of Galveston's renowned Gulf Coast cuisine. There is even a Mardi Gras Museum located in the Historic Strand District of Galveston Island.

In 2008, a bystander described one parade as "lighting up the night with massive floats, costumed revelers throwing beads and trinkets, led by marching bands and masked men on horses." More than 250,000 people attend Mardi Gras! Galveston each year, which provides a significant boost to the island's economy. This year's festivities, however, may prove to be more important than ever before.

Galveston is still struggling to recover from the onslaught of devastation brought by Hurricane Ike in September, evident by the fact that some shops in the Historic Downtown Strand District were not open for business for this year's Mardi Gras! Galveston. Galvestonians need our support, no matter how much or how little each of us are able to contribute. This year's celebration provided a unique opportunity for Texans to help out their fellow statesmen, a responsibility inherent to our kind, and come together for a Texas-sized event.

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