Blood, Mud, and Booze: Inside Cajun Mardi Gras

To the untrained eye, Courir de Mardi Gras looks a bit like a medieval uprising-themed bachelor party. But behind the drunken revelry and chaotic costumes, it’s a deeply rooted tradition that stretches back centuries, blending old-timey French customs with Cajun and Creole culture.

Held in multiple communities across South Louisiana, Cajun Mardi Gras takes place on Fat Tuesday, or the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This year, the raucous celebration falls on March 4.

The whole thing tends to start with people throwing on their wire screen masks, before getting shitfaced. The exact details of the next leg vary from town to town, but generally look something like this: a boozy scavenger hunt for the ingredients to make a giant pot of gumbo, which may or may not involve chasing a chicken around some fields.

Participants—who are often either on foot or horseback—travel from house to house, singing, dancing, and begging for food in an act reminiscent of old European folk traditions. The ritual is meant to be both comedic and symbolic, celebrating community generosity and the joy of excess before Lent.

For the first episode of our new series GATHERINGS—which explores the communities and events that give people a sense of belonging in an increasingly isolating world—we spent some time at various Courir de Mardi Gras celebrations across South Louisiana.

You can watch the film above—and when you’re done, check out more photos below from photographer Nicolas Dykmans, all of which were shot in Church Point, Louisiana.