January 6th: Inner Journey

The thing I loved most about the Mardi Gras exhibit was how different it is. When I walked into the exhibit where all of the grown and scepters were for the past Mardi Gras kings and queens, I had to remind myself that I'm not in a foreign country. I couldn't believe that I was only a few states away from home. When looking through the Mardi Gras exhibit, I couldn't help but think of how the parades are different from the ones that we have back home in Illinois. Back home, we usually have parades for homecoming and our annual festivals, but they are nothing like the parades put together for Mardi Gras. The costumes are a huge difference. I couldn't help but think how uncomfortable and heavy he Mardi Gras costumes are. All of the heavy beading and huge head pieces. It made me think about what I would want my Mardi Gras gown to look like if I were a Mardi Gras queen. I would probably choose something very edgy. Maybe something black with a leather jacket over it to stand out from all of the glitz and glam that I saw in the museum. Something new that I learned about Mardi Gras was the maskers. These maskers were part of the Cajun courirs de Mardi Gras which is popular in many Cajun communities in southern Louisiana. I feel like if the city that I live in back home celebrated Mardi Gras, this is what it would be like. These maskers would ride their horses, dance, and beg for food to make Mardi Gras dinner. It is so fun to learn about the Mardi Gras side of New Orleans.

Courirs de Mardi Gra Masks

Maskers