lunedì 27 febbraio 2017

It happened on February 27th,1827.


Quell'anno il 27 di febbraio non cadeva di lunedì, bensì di martedì, e lo sappiamo con assoluta certezza, senza consultare alcun almanacco ... 



Accadde oggi, il 27 febbraio dell'anno 1827.



... Il 27 di febbraio del 1827 un gruppo di studenti provenienti da Parigi, mascherati ed abbigliati da giullari, misero in scena danze e festeggiamenti  per le strade della città di New Orleans, in Louisiana, dando così avvio ai celebri intrattenimenti del Mardi Gras, il MARTEDI' GRASSO, che saluta con gioia l'ultimo giorno del Carnevale.

Le settimane che separano la dodicesima notte, ossia il giorno dell'Epifania, dalla celebrazione cristiana del Mercoledì delle Ceneri, che segna l'inizio della Quaresima, vedono dall'epoca dell'antica Roma la celebrazione del Carnevale che da Roma si espanse in Europa per giungere fino alle Americhe, dove trovò in New Orleans il luogo più consono in cui accoglierlo, tanto che nacquero qui i festeggiamenti che lo acclamano allegramente durante l'ultimo suo giorno della stagione.

In realtà furono i primi coloni francesi che portarono questa festa così antica e la tradizione del Mardi Gras in Louisiana alla fine del 1600, ma i governatori spagnoli che reggevano al tempo la provincia ne vietarono le celebrazioni, e solamente quando la Louisiana entrò a far parte degli Stati Uniti nel 1803, la città di New Orleans riuscì a persuadere il consiglio comunale a revocare il divieto di indossare maschere e far festa per le strade, anche se va ricordato che trascorsero ancora più di vent'anni prima che il Mardi Gras fosse fatto pienamente risorgere.

Le popolari manifestazioni di gioia che connotano questo giorno crebbero sempre più con gli anni, in celebrità, entusiasmo ed in sontuosità, 


tanto che nel 1833 un ricco proprietario di piantagioni di nome Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville raccolse fondi per finanziare da sé una celebrazione ufficiale del Mardi Gras e nel corso del tempo si formarono centinaia di gruppi che provvedettero alla costruzione di carri elaborati 
e colorati sui quali sfilavano di solito i cittadini locali che lanciavano ai passanti monete di metallo, fili di perline colorate e coriandoli di carta in segno di buon augurio a partire già dalle due settimane precedenti l'ultimo giorno di Carnevale.
Ed ogni anno questa celebrazione si rinnova, forte delle sue radici storiche che si spingono così lontano nel tempo.



Ringraziandovi per aver letto insieme con me questa curiosità che ci porta indietro di 190 anni, vi abbraccio tutti con il cuore augurandovi giorni lieti e spensierati



a presto 💕












That year February 27th wasn't Monday, but Tuesday, and we know it with absolute certainty, without consulting any almanac ...




- picture 1 - This day in History, February 27th,1827.




... On February 27th, 1827 a group of students coming from Paris, masked and dressed as jesters, staged dances and celebrations in the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, thus giving birth to the famous entertainment of Mardi Gras, which say goodbye with joy to the last day of Carnival.

The weeks between the Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, and the Christian celebration of Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, see, since ancient Rome times, the celebration of Carnival that from Rome expanded in Europe to come to America, where it found in New Orleans the most appropriate place to receive it, so that they were born here the festivities that acclaim it merrily during its last day of the season.

Actually they were the first French settlers who brought to the New Continent the so old tradition of Mardi Gras in Louisiana at the end of 1600, but the Spanish governors who ruled the province at the time forbade the celebration, and only when Louisiana became part of the United States in 1803, the city of New Orleans was able to persuade the city council to revoke the ban on wearing masks and partying in the streets, although it must be remembered that they passed more than two decades before the Mardi Gras was made fully resurrected.

The popular demonstrations of joy that characterize this day grew more and more over the years, in celebrity, enthusiasm and splendor, 




- picture 2 - Mardi Gras in the Victorian Age



so much so that in 1833 a wealthy plantation owner named Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville raised funds to finance himself an official celebration of Mardi Gras and over time they formed hundreds of groups that took care of the construction of elaborate and colorful carriages on which paraded usually local citizens who threw to passangers metal coins, strings of colored beads and clouds of little pieces of paper as a sign of good luck starting already from the two weeks preceding the last day of Carnival.

And every year this celebration is renewed, strong in its historical roots that go so back in time.



Thanking you for reading along with me this curiosity that brings us back 190 years, 

I embrace you wholeheartedly, wishing you happy and carefree days,


see you soon 💕




41 commenti:

  1. Un post curioso e molto interessante : l'ideale per una bella "ricerca" (quanto mi piacevano da alunna !)
    Lietissima settimana,
    Franca

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Franca
      è davvero delizioso cominciare la settimana in tua compagnia, grazie carissima amica mia !

      Ti abbraccio con tanto affetto e sincera stima ಌ•❤•ಌ

      Elimina
  2. Hello, Dany! I have never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It looks like a happy celebration. The crowds might be what keeps me away. Pretty carriage and images. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ eileeninmd
      I'm so overjoyed by your presence here, thanks most sincerely, dearest friend !

      Carnival is a very cheerful celebration which reaches its apex during this day ... the curious thing to me is that Mardi Gras festivities are dating back to the 17th century and still take place nowadays !

      Wishing you a most wonderful new week,
      I'm sending blessings of joy to you ❥

      Elimina
  3. Since i grew up in NOLA, i was taken to these parades from a very young age, and would even march in them twirling a baton, or sometimes riding a float. It was a fun time for the family back then. Now the celebration in downtown New Orleans is not fit for children to see, but many of the surrounding areas have parades like i remember from childhood.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ messymimi
      thanks most sincerely for this comment of yours which adds informations completing my article !

      Sending hugs and ever much love to you, sweet friend,
      with utmost gratitude ♡ஐ♡

      Elimina
  4. Risposte
    1. @ Gillena Cox
      Happy Blue Monday to you too, Dearie, thanks most sincerely for visiting !

      Sending my dearest love across the many miles ♥∗✿∗♥

      Elimina
  5. Fascinating, dear Daniela, and always beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing, dear friend, and I hope you have a fantastic week!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Linda
      wishing you too a most wonderful week to come,
      I'm heartily thanking you, my Dearest,
      you always bless my heart ⊰✽*✽⊱

      Elimina
  6. I didn't know these facts. Very interesting.

    Have a terrific day, Daniela. ☺

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Sandee
      your words of interest mean so much to me, thank you Dearie !

      Sending hugs and ever much love across the Ocean •♥•♥•♥•

      Elimina
  7. Hi Sweet Dany, This is a wonderful post sharing the history of Mardi Gras!! I have a dear friend who grew up in New Orleans and was to many parades and shared her wonderful photos. It is magical this time of year and very festive. I have not been but enjoy it from Texas in pictures and news. Wishing you a wonderful new week.
    Blessings and joy to you dear one! xo

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Celestina Marie
      thank you my lovely lady for gracing my blog today !
      Here in Italy we have so many cities which keep on preserving this ancient tradition expecially in the North, such as Sanremo, Venezia, Viareggio, but in the USA I suppose that these celebrations are not so well known, except for the city we're talking about, for its French ancient roots (Paris was the heart of such festivities during the last centuries)

      Wishing you a pleasant day, today,
      I'm sending blessings of joy on the remiander of your week,
      may it be filled with love and peace,
      I heartily thank you fo visiting,
      you truly make my day ༺♡❀♡༻

      Elimina
  8. Non conoscevo queste radici carnevalesche. Tutto molto curioso ed interessante. Grazie ancora cara Daniela per avermi dato gioia ed intrattenimento
    Bacioni Alessandra

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Alessandra
      grazie a te carissima per la letizia di cui sempre mi fai dono con il tuo interesse ed il tuo entusiasmo !

      Che la tua settimana ti sorrida di gioia,
      ti invio un forte abbraccio •♥•*❖*•♥•

      Elimina
  9. I did not know this, Dany!
    I would so love to see Carnival.
    I see the photographs of the beautiful costumes, and they are just wonderful.
    Happy day, sweet friend.
    xo.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Lisa
      this is such a typical Italian celebration, you should go to Venice to see the splendour of the XVIIIth century costumes or to Sanremo, to see such stunning carriages ornated by so, so many flowers coming from our Riviera carrying masked people !

      Wishing you a most lovely rest of your week
      sending hugs and more hugs to you, dearie ❥

      Elimina
  10. always something interesting to read on your gorgeous blog!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Kathe W.
      I heartily thank you, dearest friend, your words bless my day !

      Sending much love to you,
      with utmost gratitude ♡❤♡

      Elimina
  11. Non sapevo dove fosse nato il carnevale, ma come sempre tu mi illumini con i tuoi preziosi post. Grazie mia dolcissima.
    Ti abbraccio e ti auguro una bellissima settimana.
    Love Susy ♥

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Susy
      buongiorno dolcezza e grazie a te, le tue parole colmano sempre il mio cuore di gioia !

      Che ti giunga forte forte il mio più sincero abbraccio,
      e che ti accompagni con affetto per il resto di questa settimana, grazie ancora ✿*✿

      Elimina
  12. @ Jim
    you're so heartily welcome, thank you, my friend !

    Wishing you the best of weeks ♥♡♥

    RispondiElimina
  13. Would love to go to a Mardi Gras. It always looks so colourful and such fun!
    Have a wonderful week dear Daniela :)x

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Prunella Pepperpot
      I'm sure you would enjoy it so so much, Dearie, it's such a cheerful and joy-filled festive day, a carefree moment during which we all come back children !

      ⊰♥⊱ MUCH LOVE ⊰♥⊱

      Elimina
  14. Dearest Dani,
    In a wonderful way, you bring us closer to roots and events of the past.
    Especially beautiful, as have been laid out for many, many years, they still exist in this days and age.
    I wish you a colorful, cheerful Carnival Day,
    Your Manuela

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Manuela
      my lovely lady, you're like a ray of sun on this page of mine, with your precious words and presence here you always put me in such high spirits, darling friend, blessed be !

      May the remainder of your week be as Beautiful as you, Sweetie ✿⊱╮

      Elimina
  15. I think I would have very much enjoyed Mardi Gras back then, but probably not so much these days. So lovely to visit you this afternoon. Sending hugs and love to you Dany.
    Andrea

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Andrea
      what a delight to welcome you here today, Dearie, yor words always put a smile on my face, thank you !

      Wishing you alovely day, today,
      and pleasant days to come,
      take care, sweet friend of mine ❥

      Elimina
  16. And still going on today, even in St. Louis Missouri they hold big Mardi Gras celebrations. I have never attended one, only seen them on TV, I think that would be too many people for me :)
    I hope your week is off to a great start!!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Conniecrafter
      actually I didn't know about St.Louis, thank you for writing this news, you know, I so love to learn new things, and it's so amazing to see that so ancient celebrations are still living today, isn't it ?

      As for the confusion, you're right, my Dearest, there are always so many people present at such events ... if you don't like crowd, even for a while, it's better for you not to participate and enjoy them watching your TV !

      Wishing you a lovely remainder of your week,
      with utmost thankfulness ಌ❀ಌ

      Elimina
  17. Thank you for this history of Mardi Gras! I've been to concerts of Louisiana music and they do a mini-Mardi Gras celebration, tossing out beaded necklaces to the crowds. Adds fun to the occasion.

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Linda
      I so love to read your own experiences about something surviving the passing of times, thank you, darling friend !

      May the rest of your week be filled with joy and wonder ⊰✽*✽⊱

      Elimina
  18. I have been to New Orleans a couple of times and have been to Mardi Gras, once. It is definatly worth going to one time. As much as I love dressing in masquerade, I enjoy Naw'lins during some of it's quieter months. :)
    Thank you for the history lesson. I love learning new things!

    - Lisa

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Lisa
      how very delightful of you to come and visit me this morning, you really make my day, sweet friend !

      I'm so glad to read that you know this festivity and have enjoyed its funny and cheerful atmosphere, thanks most sincerely for your nice words !

      Thinking of you and sending wishes for a peaceful and beauty-filled remainder of your week *•♥♥•*

      Elimina
  19. I didn't know that it was forbidden by the Spanish. xoxo Su

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Su
      my lovely friend, yes, it was during the period of the Spanish domination ... Spanish were quite strict :) !

      Sending blessings of joy across the many miles,
      with much gratitude ༺♡❀♡༻

      Elimina
  20. I love your blues! Thanks for linking to Blue Monday!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ Magical Mystical Teacher
      it is I who thank you, and I do it so heartily, sweet friend !

      Wishing you a most wonderful month of March,
      sending hugs and love to you ❥

      Elimina
  21. sempre interessantissimi i tuoi post...un abbraccio simona:)

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. @ simona
      è con il cuore che ti ringrazio, sei davvero gentilissima mia cara amica !

      Che le tua settimana ti sorrida di gioia ✿⊱╮

      Elimina

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