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Tag: New Orleans History
The New Orleans Streetcar Through the Years: Part 1
When the sun is shining, there’s hardly an image more iconic in New Orleans than that of a streetcar rumbling down St. Charles Avenue. Tennesee Williams knew it when he wrote his 20th century masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire. By then, railway technology had already been spreading across the globe for a hundred years —…
Boeuf Gras: Get Your Carnival Fill Before Lent
If you’ve seen the Rex parade on Fat Tuesday it’s likely you’ve noticed the enormous white bull sitting atop one of the iconic parade’s signature floats. And you’re not alone. Decades of New Orleanians have seen the same bewildering sight. Welcome to Boeuf Gras. The massive creature is known as Boeuf Gras and is one…
King Cake’s Cousins Around the Globe
When you ask most Americans where king cake is eaten, the most frequent answers you’ll hear are Louisiana or New Orleans. But, to the surprise of many, king cake is enjoyed all across Europe and North America. This is because the king cake tradition began thousands of years ago in Ancient Rome. Mardi Gras (or…
Twelfth Night Traditions of New Orleans
Twelfth Night — or January 6 — is the undisputed kick-off to Carnival season! But the Twelfth night of what? In many parts of the world, Twelfth Night and the Christian holiday, Epiphany, are synonymous. One definition of epiphany is “the manifestation of a supernatural being.” In this case, that supernatural being was the baby…
Fresh Jazz/Old Mint
In a city known for its uniqueness, the combined Old U.S. Mint and New Orleans Jazz Museum are among the most unconventional of pairings. Housed in a nearly 200-year-old building, the idea of one of the world’s largest jazz archives being kept in a decommissioned mint may seem incongruent at first. But the merging of…
Ashes and Rubble: Rebuilding New Orleans After the Great Fire of 1788
It seems no matter where they’re located in the world, every major city has suffered through a devastating fire. While some of the more famous blazes took place in Chicago and London, New Orleans has had several of its own. The largest of these took place in 1788, and the Great Conflagration of New Orleans…
With a Bit o’Luck: The History of the Irish in New Orleans
When one thinks of New Orleans, images of brilliantly colored parade floats and boisterous second lines may spring to mind. Or maybe it’s a vision of the French Quarter with its bright pastel Spanish-style townhouses and Creole cottages. The idea of Gothic Irish architecture and huge St. Patrick’s Day parades is probably the last thing…
The Meeting of the Courts: When Rex Met Comus
While Mardi Gras is known for its lavish parades and costumed revelry, there is also an air of romance and mystery which is sometimes overlooked. Though thousands gather to watch elaborate floats pass by, crying out for various trinkets, few give thought to the royalty waving at the crowds. Masked or bare-faced, the Royal Courts…
Adapt or Die: How Mardi Gras Narrowly Avoided Being Outlawed
No one does Mardi Gras like New Orleans. We’re known worldwide for our lavish displays of excess in the parades, costumes, and parties that abound during Carnival season. King Cake parties and days of eating gumbo with family give way to the final spectacle of Fat Tuesday when Zulu and Rex rule the day and…
Twelfth Night and The Feast of the Epiphany
Many consider December 25th and Christmas Day to be the end of the Christmas season. Trees and decorations are taken down before the new year begins and the idea of continuing to feast after that belly-busting Christmas dinner is unthinkable. But for those who know the 12 Days of Christmas as more than a seasonal…
How a Bluff and a Battle Shaped New Orleans
New Orleans. Lawrence N. Powell calls it “The Accidental City” in his book of the same name. Peirce Lewis memorably named it “an impossible but inevitable city” in his book, New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape. Both men have a point. New Orleans was and is a very unlikely place. We sit in…
Kringle Cake: A Long Way from There to Here
In a world of elaborately decorated buttercream and fondant cakes, the Kringle is easy to overlook. At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than an oversized iced Danish or maybe a flattened King Cake. But look closer and you’ll notice dozens of flaky, lighter than air layers under that smear of icing. Hiding…