LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, USA -- The first formal Mardi Gras ball and parade in Lafayette dates back to 1869 and they haven't stopped celebrating Fat Tuesday here since.

In 1897, King Attakapas, the first Lafayette Mardi Gras king was crowned. He rode into town on a Southern Pacific train decorated to look like a royal throne and led the parade.

After 1897, formal Mardi Gras parades and balls seemed to come and go until 1934 when the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras association was formed by representatives from civic and service organizations to ensure that Lafayette would always have a Mardi Gras celebration.

Today, as in 1934, Queen Evangeline and King Gabriel, who symbolize the Acadian sweethearts separated during the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline, are reunited each year at Mardi Gras to rule over the festivities.

Acadiana's Courir de Mardi Gras

The rural Mardi Gras celebration, the Courir de Mardi Gras, dates back to the earliest days of the area's settlement and is still considered a rite of passage for many young men of the area. With its roots firmly in the medieval tradition of ceremonial begging, bands of masked and costumed horseback riders roam the countryside "begging" for ingredients for their communal gumbo. "Le Capitaine," a caped but unmasked captain, stops his revelers at a distance while he approaches with a white flag and asks permission for his riders to enter the owner's property. If granted, the captain lowers his white flag and riders charge towards the house. There, they dismount and proceed to dance and sing for live chickens and other donations such as rice, onions, and flour to be used in the gumbo. The captain and his group of masked riders return to town in the late afternoon with their loot. The day's festivities usually end with a fais-do-do (community dance) and lots of gumbo for the Mardi Gras revelers.

Practicalities

For more information about visiting Lafayette click to www.lafayettetravel.com.

For more information about Mardi Gras, including lots of authentic Cajun celebratory recipes, and travel information about other Mardi Gras celebrations, click here for the FabulousFoods.com Mardi Gras channel.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, FabulousFoods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.