Life & Death Themes of the Annual Celebration
Visitors to New Orleans might be shocked to learn about the rich connection between the city’s storied cemeteries and Mardi Gras. Long seen as an exuberant celebration of life and all its associated pleasures, Mardi Gras — upon first glance — seems an odd juxtaposition with the stoic serenity of burial sites like St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
On the contrary, however, death and life are counterpoint themes of Mardi Gras, as it’s difficult to embrace living without an understanding of the fragility of mortality. In fact, foot traffic to cemeteries in the city typically increases during Mardi Gras season beyond that which might be expected from the higher numbers of tourists. From skull-related motifs to ongoing traditions at NOLA cemeteries, here’s 3 surprising symbols in Mardi Gras celebrations of death and mortality.
The Mardi Gras Colors
Culminating in the festivities of Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras offers a time for participants to reflect on the duality of life and death, particularly as it fits into the cultural tapestry of modern New Orleans. As the primary organizations charged with orchestrating the parades, krewes frequently weave references to life beyond the grave into their themes, floats, and costumes. The same group responsible for devising the Carnival King tradition claims credit for selecting and imbuing meaning onto the Mardi Gras colors. Since approximately 1872, participants have embraced these colors to embody a defiant attitude that focuses on living in the moment.
The official colors of Mardi Gras — traditionally purple, green, and gold — stand for this cultural acknowledgement of death as an integral aspect of human existence. Representing justice, faith, and power respectively, these colors collectively create a symbolic framework that encourages revelers to live fully and joyfully, even in the face of death’s inevitability.
Bead Throws
The bead throwing tradition continues the association between Mardi Gras and death. Although many “throws” include items beyond just beads, the practice dates back to the 1880s and is said to originate from a whimsical act performed by a man dressed as Santa Claus. According to Mardi Gras lore, this jolly ‘ol elf delighted crowds by tossing glass beads into their midst. A tradition — one certainly imbued with more adult themes as the years went by — was born, and glass beads eventually were substituted with the safer (and cheaper) aluminum and plastic beads of today.
A modern-day clean-up of New Orleans’ storm drains resulted in an excavation of over 45 tons of beads, a physical example of this tradition’s popularity during Mardi Gras. Beads have also been proffered as offerings at the tombs of illustrious people, which posits a direct connection between the customs of Mardi Gras and paying respect to one’s forebears. In the past, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 saw hundreds of beaded offerings left at Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau’s tomb both during Mardi Gras and other times of the year.
Death Masks
One of the more flagrant connections to death are Mardi Gras masks. The tradition of mask wearing dates back to 13th-century carnivals in Venice where the costume piece obscured identity and temporarily dissolved social hierarchies. Among the myriad, increasingly elaborate masks, death masks — particularly those reminiscent of the long-beaked plague-doctors of the Renaissance — became a traditional fixture at celebrations, events, and memorials.
The plague-doctor mask in particular makes a regular appearance at Mardi Gras. Designed to protect medical practitioners from the bubonic plague, these long horizontal masks have come to symbolize the ever present specter of death. The presence of these masks at Mardi Gras also echoes memento mori, a practice where individuals kept skulls and other reminders of a fragile mortality close at hand. Connections between the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition are also rife in the masks that line New Orleans’ streets during Mardi Gras.
Historic Cemeteries – A Pivotal Piece of New Orleans
The strong ties between Mardi Gras and New Orleans burial grounds reflect a rich aspect of the city’s heritage and unique treatment of the dead. The establishment of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 — done by Spanish royal decree in 1789 — holds particular significance as the creation of the oldest existing cemetery in the city. Originally designed to alleviate overcrowding in the St. Peter Street Cemetery, the evolution of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 coincides with NOLA’s broader urban development.
New Orleans’ distinctive above-ground burial practices represent the emotional and spiritual bonds that continue to connect the living, breathing city with its storied past. Not just a resting place for the deceased, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is also a repository of legends and historical narratives. To explore St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 for yourself, book a guided tour today!
