Where in the world can one go and find a Catholic donkey named, Jacqueline OnASSis Fontenot (I kid you not) or watch a cowboy two-step to Zydeco or order a plate lunch of red beans served in a red gravy with ground meat and a side of cornbread?
To Mamou--the 'Cajun Music Capitol of the World' and better known by some for its famous Mardi Gras day chicken chase. Yes, Jason and I experienced the Mamou Mardi Gras and I am finally writing home about it!
Every year on Mardi Gras morn in the heart of Acadiana Cajun country--somewhere in the middle of nowhere between Opelousas and Alex--the rooster crows. This morning call signals the start of a day's long horseback procession through the grassy prairies and rice fields of this sleepy Louisiana community in search of The Mardi Gras' most prized possession. And thanks to a little intel from the local po-po (police), we wandered past a landmark Zydeco watering hole along a dusty trail before dropping the tailgate for front-row seats to witness this convergence of Cajun and redneck cultures.
For this Fat Tuesday custom, the pursuit isn't for a certain decorated coconut or plastic beaded necklace or shiny doubloon. Here, masked and costumed men, saddled with bridle in hand and a fence post in the other, give chase across the crawfish ponds and rice farms in hopes of riding onto Main Street with a Mardi Gras trophy in tow.
This celebration isn't for the faint of heart either. The effects of an all-day beer binge addle grown men into honing their jockey and circus talents. Some even perfect their culvert crawling skills. While the chicken-chasing techniques of others could never be duplicated if one tried. And before the sun sets for the Lenten season, everyone gathers along Main Street for one more parade and party and one final chance for these Cajun cowboys to show off their chickens, circus acts, and Crown Royal costumes in front of family, friends, and an international television audience.
In all of our travels, how soon do we forget the culture flowing across our own Louisiana pastures? This celebration of Fat Tuesday was far different than anything I ever imagined. And for this redneck-cajun couple, the convergence of cultures in Mamou was relatable on so many levels. It was a fun day with my hubby nonetheless reflecting on what we miss so much about Louisiana, while also sharing a few good-for-the soul laughs of our own.
And so my hubby says Mamou 2017, anyone? I think I will sit the next one out. Been there, experienced that! Ha.
