
16 Mardi Gras Terms to Review For This Season
As Mardi Gras season rolls into the Shreveport and Bossier City area, it's time to brush up on your Mardi Gras lingo. Sure, you have heard someone say "Boeuf Gras", Carnival, and flambeaux before...but do you remember what any of that means?
Well, before you hit your first Mardi Gras bal or parade this year, let's take a step back and review some Mardi Gras terms, with help from the Krewe of Centaur's website. Here we go:
BAL/BALL - The Krewe of Centaur describes it as "(Bal Masque, Tableau Bal) – A masked ball in which scenes representing a specific theme are acted out for the entertainment of club members and their guests, Krewe royalty is traditionally presented during the bal."
BOEUF GRAS - French word that translates to "fatty beef" in English. It's often used to symbolize the final meal before Lent.
CALL OUT - The Krewe of Centaur describes it as "The tradition of at the Bal of royalty or members of the Krewe publicly presenting favors to friends in order to honor them; traditionally used in conjunction with a call-out-dance where a Krewe member will present a favor to a lady friend who reciprocates by honoring him with a dance."
CAPTAIN - The title generally held by the leader of a Mardi Gras Krewe or other Carnival organization.
CARNIVAL - The Krewe of Centaur describes it as "From the latin “Carnivale“, loosely translated as “farewell to the flesh“; the season of merriment which begins on Twelfth Night (the feast of Epiphany), January 6, and ends at midnight on Fat Tuesday; the carnival season leads up to the penitential season of Lent in which fasting replaces feasting."
COURT - The Royalty group for a Mardi Gras Krewe. Usually made up of a King, Queen, Dukes, Duchesses, Princes, and Princesses.
DEN - Generally the headquarters for a Mardi Gras Krewe. Where floats are built, worked on, and stored. Often Krewes will meet at these locations as well.
DOUBLOONS - The Krewe of Centaur describes them as "aluminum coin like objects bearing the Krewe’s insignia on one side and a theme logo on the other side; first introduced in the 1960 Rex parade in New Orleans; doubloons are also minted and sold as souvenirs in silver, bronze and choisone versions."
FAVOR - These are gifts or souvenirs given by Krewe members to those attending Bal events. Normally these will feature the logo of the Krewe, the year of the season, and could include a name of the Krewe member or float.
FLAMBEAUX - The Krewe of Centaur describes them as "Naphtha-fueled torches, traditionally carried by white robed black men; in the 1900’s the flambeaux provided the only source of nighttime parade illumination."
INVITATION - Not a ticket, but an invitation. These are printed requests inviting someone to attend a Krewe function...generally a Bal event.
KING CAKE - We all know what they are, but here's how the Krewe of Centaur explains them "an oval shaped, sugared pastry that contains a plastic doll hidden inside; the person who finds the doll is crowned king and buys the next cake or throws the next party."
KREWE - This is the common term for a Mardi Gras/Carnival organization. It doesn't have anything to do with the type of parade held; there are walking Krewes, Krewes with just a few small floats, and mega Krewes. The term is believed to have first been used by the Mystic Krewe of Comus in 1857.
MARDI GRAS - The Krewe of Centaur describes Mardi Gras as "Also called “Fat Tuesday”, this is the last day of the Carnival season and the day before “Ash Wednesday” the first day of the season of “Lent”.
THROWS - These are the items revelers catch from floats during Mardi Gras parades. Common throws in Shreveport include beads, doubloons, cups, hula hoops, and stuffed animals.
TWELFTH NIGHT - The Krewe of Centaur describes the day as "The official beginning of the Mardi Gras Carnival season. Also known as the “Epiphany” (the day the wise men visited the baby Jesus). It is called twelfth night because it is always celebrated twelve days after Christmas, on January 6."