A Brief History of Mardi Gras

In 1857, a group calling itself The Mystik Krewe of Comus staged the first modern Mardi Gras parade - a torchlit night-time procession of floats illustrating themes from classical mythology and literature.  Following the American Civil War (1861-1865),  many new krewes soon began offering additional parades and balls.  

The Krewe of Rex, organized in 1872, pioneered many innovations that became defining features of New Orleans Mardi Gras.  Rex established the tradition of crowning a King of Carnival, selected the Carnival colors, and adopted the song "If Ever I Cease to Love" as a Mardi Gras anthem.

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mardi Gras became increasingly important to New Orleans.  The festivities attracted visitors, generated income for local merchants, and added to the city's mystique.  The first African American Mardi Gras organization was established in 1894.  An all-women group was founded two years later.  By the late 1960s, however, many people began to worry that Mardi Gras was in decline.  Critics of the parades felt that Mardi Gras had become old-fashioned, and they claimed that the exclusivity of the traditional Krewes deterred the lucrative tourist trade.  In 1968 the newly formed Krewe of Bacchus staged a parade featuring huge floats and led by an out-of-town celebrity.  other organizations soon followed suite, inaugurating the era of so-called "Super-Krewes".  

In 1995, the Mystikal Krewe of Indulgences was founded to represent the parish of St. Augustine's Catholic Church of Signal Mountain, Tennessee.  Though it has outgrown its original roots, it remains steeped in tradition and strictly and respectfully follows the customs of Mardi Gras and its' original Krewes.  Since its inception, it has always been the desire of the members of The Mystikal Krewe Of Indulgences to honor the history of Mardi Gras while maintaining a certain decorum as exclusive hosts to the Only Official Annual Chattanooga Mardi Gras Ball.