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Mardi Gras Time .. Canada??

sar bossier

sar bossier

New Member
I am curious ... What do y'all in Quebec (and other French provinces) do to celebrate Mardi Gras? Wondering how it compares to here in Louisiana, as y'all are MUCH colder than here??

curious, never heard anything about it before ...
 
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genericname

New Member
Usually only important to the religious, up here. Though it's growing increasingly popular with secularists as "Pancake Tuesday". No crazy bead swaps though, unless you count the college students at the bars.

When I was in school, it was just another day that we were forced to sit through a church service when we could have otherwise been learning.

Edit:
Too cold up here for public nudity in February and March.
 
Baz

Baz

New Member
Up around here our version is called Carnaval (For Québec City). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Winter_Carnival.

A quick wiki read i found out it's religious beginings but now is pretty much a winter celebration. The colder it is the better the event since there are allot of ice structures built for people to visit and kids to play on. I haven't been to Québec's carnaval in many years but the many times i did go (in my early 20s) there was allot of drinking and walking around. Usually you had a plastic cane to walk around with and it would be kept full of caribou (a thick sweet wine).

In Ottawa, Ontario we have a festival called Winterlude. It's another winter celebration with allot of outdoor events. Many people come to skate on the world's largest outdoor skating rink, The Rideau canal. But since it is held in english canada there isn't as much drinking going on as in Québec City :Big Laugh

I don't think any of these would compare to New Orlean's Mardis Gras (which is french for Fat Tuesday).
 
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genericname

New Member
Baz said:
In Ottawa, Ontario we have a festival called Winterlude. It's another winter celebration with allot of outdoor events. Many people come to skate on the world's largest outdoor skating rink, The Rideau canal. But since it is held in english canada there isn't as much drinking going on as in Québec City :Big Laugh
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Heh. Remember, Ottawa's a city of bureaucrats; everybody's drinking, they're just discreet about it. :toasting:

"Oh man, it's cold out here on the canal."
"Here, have some hot cocoa from my thermos!"
 
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genericname

New Member
Also, I completely forgot about Carnaval! The Laronde in my home town had its own Bohnomme de Carnaval, and they made the tour of all the French schools in town. I don't think ours directly lined up with that of Québec's, because unlike you guys, we in Northern Ontario were still tethered to the church in every possible way. Our Carnaval was basically just an activity day that gave some teachers a break.
 
sar bossier

sar bossier

New Member
Yes, it's actually Carnival here as well ... Wasn't thinking when I posted (but DID add an edit when I caught it). Often wondered if y'all did the Krewes, parades, balls, etc. that lead up to Fat Tuesday (mardi gras). It does sound like fun, though, IF you can stand the cold!
 
Baz

Baz

New Member
sar bossier said:
It does sound like fun, though, IF you can stand the cold!
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As long as you dress warm and walk around, it's a very nice time. It can also me magical if you are lucky enough to have weather just below the freezing point, no wind and a light snowfall.

I hope to one day have the oportunity to go to New Orleans (even visit the state of Louisiana). Big bonus would be during Mardis Gras!
 
sar bossier

sar bossier

New Member
Baz said:
As long as you dress warm and walk around, it's a very nice time. It can also me magical if you are lucky enough to have weather just below the freezing point, no wind and a light snowfall.

I hope to one day have the oportunity to go to New Orleans (even visit the state of Louisiana). Big bonus would be during Mardis Gras!
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It is QUITE interesting, to say the least. We are in the NW part of the state, and I find the celebrations here to be just as fun, without all of the naked, drunken excess of Nawlins. Love the parades, all of them!

But NOTHING beats the quarter, for the feel, the history, and the magic of it ...
 
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Pat Whatley

Pat Whatley

New Member
I know, we're down there several times a year.....it still smells like stale beer and vomit, especially in spring and Bourbon Street ALWAYS feels sticky and there are always puddles of....ummmm, stuff. It's all good, somehow, unlike everywhere else on the planet, it all just adds to the charm of New Orleans.

That said, we were down there in November and saw two 20-something women walking on Bourbon Street barefooted. Barefooted. Just thinking of it still makes me cringe.
 
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cajun312

New Member
sar bossier said:
Haven't gotten a chance to get down there - down by Lafayette, right? Looks wild to me!!
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I'm in Eunice. This style mardi gras is also in Mamou, Basile, Church Point and Iota. Lafayette has a New Orleans style mardi gras.

Nothing like watching a couple of hundred drunk college kids chasing a chicken in a muddy rice field lol
 
sar bossier

sar bossier

New Member
cajun312 said:
I'm in Eunice. This style mardi gras is also in Mamou, Basile, Church Point and Iota. Lafayette has a New Orleans style mardi gras.

Nothing like watching a couple of hundred drunk college kids chasing a chicken in a muddy rice field lol
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I feel ya ... We get some of all of it up here - seems each section of the 2 parishes do a lil som som diffrnt ... lol

Bon Temps Roulet, anyway!!:toasting::bushmill::rock-n-roll:
 
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