Mardi Gras beads Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is also called "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Day". Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, though the term is often used incorrectly to describe the days and weeks preceding Fat Tuesday. Carnival begins 12 days after Christmas, or Twelfth Night, on January 6 and ends on Mardi Gras, which always falls exactly 46 days before Easter. Perhaps the cities most famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations include Venice, Italy; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many other places have important Mardi Gras celebrations as well. Carnival is an important celebration in most of Europe, and in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Mobile first celebrated Carnival in 1703 when French settlers began the festivities at the Old Mobile Site. Mobile's first Carnival society was organized in 1711 with the Boeuf Gras Society (Fatted Ox Society). Mobile's Cowbellion de Rakin Society was the first formally organized and masked mystic society in the United States to celebrate with a parade in 1830. The Cowbellions got their start when a cotton factor from Pennsylvania, Michael Krafft, began a parade with rakes, hoes, and cowbells. The Cowbellians introduced horse-drawn floats to the parades in 1840 with a parade entitled, “Heathen Gods and Goddesses. The Striker's Independent Society was formed in 1843 and is the oldest remaining mystic society in the United States. The idea of mystic societies was exported to New Orleans in 1856 when six businessmen, formerly of Mobile, gathered at a club room in New Orlean's French Quarter to organize a secret society, inspired by the Cowbellion de Rakin Society, that would observe Mardi Gras with a formal parade. They founded New Orleans' first and oldest krewe, the Mistick Krewe of Comus. Carnival celebrations in Mobile were cancelled during the American Civil War. Mardi Gras parades were revived by Joe Cain in 1866 when he paraded through the city streets on Fat Tuesday while costumed as a fictional Chickasaw chief named Slacabamorinico, irreverently celebrating the day in front of the occupying Union Army troops. The Order of Myths, Mobile's oldest mystic society which continues to parade, was founded in 1867 and held it's first parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868. The Infant Mystics also begin to parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868, but later moved their parade to Lundi Gras (Fat Monday). The Mobile Carnival Association was formed in 1871 to coordinate the events of Mardi Gras, this year also saw the First Royal Court held with the first king of Carnival, Emperor Felix I. The Comic Cowboys of Wragg Swamp were established in 1884, along with their mission of satire and free expression. The Continental Mystic Crew mystic society was founded in 1890, it was Mobile's first Jewish mystic society. The Order of Doves mystic society was founded in 1894 and held its first Mardi Gras ball. It was the first organized African American mystic society in Mobile. The Infant Mystics, the second oldest society that continues to parade, introduced the first electric floats to Mobile in 1929. The Colored Carnival Association was founded and had its first parade in 1939, it would later be renamed the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association. The Order of Osiris, the first gay and lesbian mystic society in Mobile, held its first ball in 1980. The 1st Mobile International Carnival Ball was held in 1995 with every known Mobile mystic society in attendance. The year 2002 saw Mobile's Tricentennial celebrated with parades representing every known mystic society. lumis

At Joe Cain's House lumis

The House of Joe Cain lumis

on Dauphin St. lumis

one of Joe Cain's Widows lumis

Joe Cain lumis

Party in front of Joe Cain's lumis

Joe Cain Day Motorcycle Ride