Cajun Mardi Gras 2013 - Our Costumes

My friend David and I spent Mardi Gras 2013 in Cajun Louisiana, where we had the marvelous fortune to be invited to participate in a Courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras Run. This involves costumed and masked participants trekking from farm to farm, sometimes on horseback and sometimes on foot, to beg ingredients for a community gumbo to be cooked and served later in the day. Each participant is called a Mardi Gras.

My previous post describes how I made my costume and shows photos of the costume itself. This post will show David and me in our costumes, and future posts will describe additional elements of the Courir.

David and I had arrived in Cajun country with Cajun Mardi Gras costumes, but without masks. Both a proper costume and a proper mask are required to participate in a Courir.

The Cajun Mardi Gras mask is typically made of wire mesh. We were able to buy masks in Eunice LA, but these were very plain - just simple suggestions of eyes, nose, and mouth painted onto the wire. David was eager to embellish the masks, so we bought some art supplies, and David went to work with awesome results! We took the photos below in our motel rooms on the evening before the Courir.

Me in full costume and mask

Me, showing mask up close

Me, without mask

David in full costume and mask

David, showing mask up close

And finally, here is a lagniappe photo (below), This shows costumed and masked Mardi Gras gathering for the start of the Courir, with me (back to camera) in the foreground! You can a see a bit of how David's and my costume compared with those of others.

Costumed and masked Mardi Gras gather for the Courir! That's me in the foreground!

A huge thank-you to David for creating our fantastic masks! My next post will tell more about the Courir de Mardi Gras itself.

Cajun Mardi Gras Costume

Now that carnival season is almost here, I would like to show my Cajun Mardi Gras costume for 2013!

In 2013, I plan to spend Mardi Gras in Cajun country, where the Courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras Run, is held. As I understand it, this event involves costumed horseback riders who ride from farm to farm to gather ingredients for a town gumbo. I understand that large Courirs are held in Church Point, Eunice, and Mamou, with smaller ones in Tee Mamou, Iota, Basile, and other towns. I don't plan to participate in a Courir, which I think could be a bit rough for me, but rather to participate in town festivities and to watch those participating in the Courir as they come and go.

Of course, I want to be in proper costume! A Cajun Mardi Gras costume involves patches and fringes, as well as a conical hat. Accordingly, I've taken a t-shirt, a pair of pants, a conical hat, and a handbag -- and I've sewn patches of material in various colors onto these items. My costume doesn't have fringes -- just lots of patches. Below, you can see photos of the items in my costume.

First is the shirt. This took quite a bit of time because, as you can see, I used fairly small patches -- lots of them. Also, I didn't take into account that this sewing on of patches would tighten, or shrink, the t-shirt. Thankfully, I can still manage to get into it!

Shirt - front view

Shirt - back view

With the pants, I was more careful. I used larger patches, and I sewed more loosely, so I didn't have the shrinking problem. Also, the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold are more prominent in the pants.

Pants - front view

Pants - back view

Then came the conical hat. I bought a Halloween witch's hat from a costume shop, stuffed the cone to keep it upright, and sewed on patches, making sure to use purple, green, and gold for the cone.

Hat - front view

Hat - viewed from above

The final item is the shoulder-strap bag to carry things in. I used an old handbag, sewed purple, green, and gold material onto it, and added long shoulder straps.

Shoulder-strap bag to carry things in

This completes my Cajun Mardi Gras costume! Thank you for taking a look at it! I'm looking forward to wearing it at the Courir de Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 12, 2013!