Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-01
THE MEANING OF MARp1.aRAs.


THE MEANING OF MARDI-GRAs.
The celebration Of MardiGras is
something modern and novel in this
country exceptin the cities of Mobile and
New Orleans, where it has been 10 vogue
many years, under the auspices Of secret
societies, whose members never have
been discovered by the public. The
maintenance Of secrecy is essential;
hrst, to protect the members from
opportunities for invitations and other
favors, but mainly TO excite public curl
osity and invest the annual displays
with q peculiar interest. The carnival,
as far as known and described in Eu-
rope, is q festival observed 10 most Ro
man Catholic countries Immediately be
fore the commencement Of Lent. The
name is from the Latin, cdrni vate, or
farewell to meat, as from Asb-Wednes-
day, the first day Of Lent. a strict fast
from meat is observed for forty days.
The festival probably came down from
the saturnalia of pagan Rome, modified
by the early Christians into a feast dur
A. the several days preceding the great
fast of forty days. 1t is celebrated with
most parade in Rome and Venice and
has been kept up with more
regularity and spirit by the Italians
than any ether people. In other lands
it has frequently fallen into neglect. 10
Paris the carnival takes place during
the FIVE or six weeks preceding Ash
Wednesday, and is marked by the fire.
quency Of masked and fancy balls in pri-
vate society and at the various places of
public amusement. II was prohibited
in 1890, but restored by Bonsparte as
First Consul, aud for many years moth
ing could exceed the beauty and rich
nets Of the costumes displayed at this
festival, but Of late years. it has lost most
Of its charms, and comparatively few
masks are seen on the streets. 1t seems
to have been transplanted to New Or
leans, where there was Q large French
population, and has since gradually be-
come Americanized and utilized, SO to
speak, but it has lost every vestige of its
Significance as a religious festival, and
10 regarded as an occasion Of general
j~sllifcatiou, in which large populations
take part, or are drawn together to ace
the novel aud grOteEque sights. Last
year it was not observed 10 New Orleans
by the leading secret societies owing TO
local troubles, but this year great pains
have been taken to make it a sue.
cess. Next to New Orleans, Aem-
phis for the last two years has
far surpassed any other place
in the country in making the a
nivAl brilliant and attractive Nor is It
believed that we are really behind New
Orleans in mugui6cience and variety Of
display and imposing p~ageantry. The
costumes worn by the mysterious
Memphi are imported from Paris at great
expense. the duties alone at the custom.
house amounting to several thousand
dollars in gold. The display this year
surpassed all former occasions, and
drew 40 unprecedented crowd from the
surrounding country as well as from dis
tant cities. The exhibition By tho
Nemphi val Of the highest artistic ex
~eellence, and to be fully understood
aud interpreted must be studied longer
than an hour on the street or at the
grand dress ball at the tbeater. The
opportunity for such study would be in
deed brief and discouraging il limitel
70 q glimpse on the street in the midst Of
6hy thousand eager spectators. But for
tuuately in this day Of daily newspapers
the general public could read the most
elaborate and accurate descriptions this
morning at the breakfast table; and
many artists and correspondents from
distant cities have been on the
ground for weeks preparing reports snd
illustrations for metropolitan jcpshsls
They Of course found access to the
mysterious Ulks and Memphi and were
afforded peculiar facilities for the prose
cation Of their work, and in q few days
the leading features and incidents Of th,
carnival will come back to us faithfully
described and artistically illustrated
The liberality, the enterprise and cos
mopolitan character Of Memphis viii
DO advertised from one end Of the land tC
the other. The carnival ia not likely tc