Dancing With Chickens: A Cajun Madri Gras

Written by Pam Published on February 20, 2020

“I don’t think I like being whipped,” I mumbled. My fellow travelers and I glanced at each other in trepidation as the Courir de Mardi Gras was explained to us. I’d attended Mardi Gras celebrations before, but never a traditional Cajun celebration held on Fat Tuesday. Dating back to medieval France, the Courir de Mardi Gras (or Mardi Gras Run), was a chance for peasants to spend one day a year mocking the aristocracy and begging for handouts. The festival was brought to Southern Louisiana by the Acadians, who migrated from Canada, and later became known as “Cajuns.”

We were guests of the Lafayette CVB for a Cajun Mardi Gras. All opinions are our own.

Designed to foster a sense of solidarity in the community, only a few of these festivals are open to participation by the public. We were allowed the honor of following the Ossun Run, a small band of merrymakers united in a common goal; to preserve the traditional culture of the Courir de Mardi Gras.

Courir de Mardi Gras Traditions:

According to Barry Ancelet, an expert Cajun folklorist and professor at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, participants rode on horseback and wagons. They traveled from house to house, hiding their identities behind masks, costumes, and Capuchon; tall, cone-shaped hats covered in wild designs. At each house, participants begged for an ingredient to make a pot of gumbo. In exchange for the ingredients, which includes live chickens, the masked revelers performed songs or dances.

The traditional costumes, masks, and Capuchon.

The Courir de Mardi Gras is led by a Capitaine. The Capitaine explains and enforces the rules for the day and carries two things; a whip and a white flag. At each stop the Capitaine approaches the homeowner (or business), waving the flag and asking for permission to enter. Once permission is granted, the Capitaine gives the signal, allowing the participants to come onto the property.

Once on the property, which are stops arranged with the homemakers or businesses in advance, there’s plenty of time for merrymaking. The participants perform Le Danse de Mardi Gras (or the Mardi Gras Song) or The Chanson de Mardi Gras for the homemakers. In return, the homemakers are expected to give something to the communal gumbo pot or perhaps a little something to drink, like a beer. This is the time that a live chicken is sometimes released, which participants chase around the yard, through mud and bushes and sometimes up into trees. As bystanders, we were happy to learn that the live chicken was not used in the communal gumbo pot.

We entered the Courir De Mardi Gras with misgivings but soon discovered this was really a tasty celebration of goodwill and a gathering of friends. The participants do allow mischief, in the form of tied shoelaces, snatching of outer clothing articles like hats or scarves, or asking for coins. I, along with the other female observers, was presented with a lovely bunch of buttercups. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that onlookers were not whipped as part of the festivities. “No whipping the public,” the Capitaine explained. “I did that one year and the sheriff came.”

If you go to a Courir De Mardi Gras

*Take a change purse full of small coins. The participants often approach onlookers with a demand for “sans sou,” while holding out their hand. You’ll want to drop a coin in their hand to invite goodwill.
*Public Courir de Mardi Gras festivals can be found in Mamou, Eunice, Iota, Church Point, and Vermillionville.
*Although the Ossun Mardi Gras was family-friendly, some of the public Courir de Mardi Gras celebrations are geared toward adults. Be sure to visit their websites before planning your visit.

If you’re looking for a unique tradition that celebrates the history and culture of the Cajun people, look no further than the Courir de Madri Gras. There’s no beads and no hype, just a gathering of friends.

Have you ever attended a Courir de Mardi Gras? What was your favorite experience?