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Mardi Gras at Carville
Carville's celebration of Mardi Gras began
in the 1930's, probably by patients from New
Orleans who wanted to continue their tradition
of carnival.
Mardi Gras for the Krewe of Carville follows
the general structure of urban Mardi Gras celebrations
in Louisiana, with costumes and masks, a parade
with music, food and drink, favors, or tokens
being thrown or begged for, general revelry,
role reversal and symbolic inversion. It is
unique, however, in that the participants are
residents or staff members of the Gillis W.
Long Hansen's Disease Center (formerly called
the National Leprosarium) in Carville.
Patients' organizations, like the Lions Club,
American Legion Auxiliary, Patients' Federation,
American Legion Post, and the Mexican Social
Club, started working months ahead planning
and preparing for the carnival celebration.
Patients and staff built floats out of anything
with wheels-decorating bicycles, tricycles,
wheelchairs and various carts to compete for
prizes. A parade rolled through the 2 ½+
miles of covered walkways (connecting the patients'
dormitories, infirmary, cafeteria) and ended
in the recreation center where the King and
Queen of Mardi Gras were toasted and a ball
was held by the masking patients.
Doubloons minted in the 1990's commemorate
important dates to Carville History: 1921 marks
the federal take over of the facility, 1994
for the 100year commemoration of the arrival
of the first HD patients, 1996 for the arrival
of the Daughters of Charity who came to care
for the patients. The armadillo, an important
animal in HD research (pictured on the doubloons)
became mascot of the celebration.
In the 1980's and 1990's the parade moved to
the ballroom of the recreation center to accommodate
older Carville residents. Since the hospital's
relocation to Baton Rouge in 1999, the celebration
of Mardi Gras continues at the Summit Hospital.
MARDI GRAS*
February 21, 1950
For the first time since before the World War,
the patients planned a big Mardi Gras celebration,
with all the trappings and regal splendor of
King, Queen, Court, floats, costumes and parade
and a grand ball. The patients are to be commended
for their efforts in making up artistic floats
for which all kinds of hospital equipment has
been put into use, from old beds on wheels to
carts on wheels and bicycles.
After a parade on the walks the floats entered
the ball room in the recreation building for
the awarding of prizes. The first prize for
floats motif "Justice" was awarded
the Mexican Club - second prize an Irish theme
by the B Natural Music Club won second prize;
the American Legion representing a huge horn
of plenty won third prize. There were costumes
of gypsies, Spanish senoritas, clowns, mandarins,
pirates, etc., all joining in the parade. Music
was furnished by Jimmy Fisher and his New Yorkers
from Baton Rouge. It was a very nice affair
and a very fine miniature representation of
the world famous Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
*(Text from album Mardi Gras in Carville: Parades
and Dances, Daughters of Charity Archives.)
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