The GypsyNesters: Mardi Gras Outside New Orleans

Chasing chickens, dancing on horseback, drinking at five in the morning, boucherie and fais do-do — it’s all part of what folks outside of New Orleans call the real Mardi Gras.

Skip Bourbon Street and check out how the rest of Louisiana celebrates.

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• The Courir de Mardi Gras

  A long-held Cajun Country tradition featured in many small towns, the a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/courirdemardigras.htm” target=”gncourir”Courir de Mardi Gras/a traces its origins back to medieval France and the fête de la quémande or feast of begging.

• The Courir de Mardi Gras

  Runners — who by tradition must be male, over 14 and in costume — ride horses or wagons through the countryside stopping to beg at farms for ingredients for a communal gumbo to be made after the run. The most common offering from the farmer is a chicken which then must be chased and captured by the Mardi Gras.

  The town of Church Point holds a particularly spirited festival, claiming it the most authentic. The men meet at five in the morning and the drinking and dancing on horseback begins immediately. The chicken chasing and parade starts whenever they deem the time is right.

  You’ve gotta watch the video to believe it… it’s, well, just watch.

• A Cajun Boucherie — Let’s Pig Out!

  Back in the days before refrigeration, families would get together to share a butchered hog because the meat would go bad before one family could eat it all. Before long this became a pretty good excuse to throw a little party. Often this tradition is incorporated into the Mardi Gras celebrations

  Eunice, Louisiana, throws a jammin’ boucherie that includes the butchering (but not the traditional slaughter, thankfully) and demonstrations on how to make the best dishes from the worst parts of a pig, including backbone stew, cracklin’ and boudin.

• Go to Sleep Little One, Mama Wants to Dance

  Fais do-do is Cajun baby talk for “go to sleep,” and once the kiddies are all tucked sweetly in bed, Mamma and Daddy (and Maw Maw and Paw Paw) have the chance to “pass a good time.” We kicked off the Friday before Mardi Gras at a Fais do-do in Church Point.

  We were told by a woman earlier in the day that the Fais do-do was essential for us to attend, as it was when the town “come together like family” and that we would be treated as such. And we were.

  In a little town like Church Point, we normally stick out like sore thumbs, not because we’re different as it is that everyone knows everyone, and we didn’t know anyone. That changed at the Fais do-do. The people of Church Point have never met a stranger, we were welcomed with open arms.

• Mardi Gras is Going to the Dogs!

  Lafayette’s Krewe des Chiens Annual Dog Parade is a must-do. This parade is geared toward children, but brings out the dog lover in all of us. Vibrantly costumed fur babies proudly trot down Lafayette’s downtown streets as both participants and spectators. Everyone has a grin on their snout as beads are thrown, puppies are rescued and donations are accepted for Cajun Country’s less fortunate furry friends.

• Throw Me Something Mister

  For several weeks prior to Fat Tuesday communities throughout Cajun Country celebrate all things Mardi Gras. The unique Mardi Gras festivities in every little town from a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/mardigrasjeanerette.htm” target=”jeangn”Jennerette/a to a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/mardigrasrural.htm” target=”eunice”Eunice/a to a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/mardigrasrural.htm” target=”gnmamou”Mamou/a, and even the capital of Acadiana, a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/mardigrasrio.htm” target=”gnlayfaye7″Layfayette/a all have one thing in common — beads. Whether the parade is after a a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/courirdemardigras.htm” target=”gnchix”chicken chase/a, before a a href=”http://www.gypsynester.com/boucherie.htm” target=”gnbo”boucherie/a, or the main attraction, revelers will be shouting “Throw me something mister” as the floats go by.

• Louisiana

  All in all, we spent three exhilarating and exhausting weeks in Cajun Country exploring the traditions, and the great folks in Louisiana made certain we had le bon temps!

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The GypsyNesters: Mardi Gras Outside New Orleans