Festive February
Hey 👋🏾 Hope all is well in your world. A top favorite month of the year is here! Welcome to the month of Black History, love, and if you have any Louisiana roots, Mardi Gras. The atmosphere everywhere seems different, if you participate in the activities. Unfortunately, if you are not a fan, the culture will be pushed down your throat. It’s everywhere. The love, the melanin, and the Fat Tuesday. Let the good times roll.
I feel like we know of, but not really enough in regards to this month’s festivities. Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. In 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which designated February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month.” This law noted that February 1, 1986 would "mark the beginning of the sixtieth annual public and private salute to Black History.” The law further directed the president to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe February 1986 as Black History Month with the appropriate ceremonies and activities. The culture thrives due to many melanin contributors from past and now. The only way to keep progressing amongst what’s going on is to share the legendary people, their stories, and the gems left behind. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
We all know February 14 as a day of gift-giving, sweet treats, and romantic gestures. Less familiar is why we celebrate the holiday of love in the first place. Historians can't quite pinpoint the exact origin of the holiday, but they can trace how Valentine's Day traditions have evolved over time. According to both The New York Times and History.com, the holiday's origin might stem from the ancient pagan festival of Lupercalia, which predated Christianity. Similar to the modern Valentine's Day holiday, the Roman festival was celebrated in the middle of February and involved feasting and pairing off partners. However, unlike Valentine's Day, it was a bit of a wild celebration filled with debauchery, blood, and sacrifice. For example, it was tradition for the hide of a sacrificed goat to be cut into strips and dipped in blood. Then, priests would go around slapping women with the strips. The practice was supposedly welcomed, as it was believed to make the women more fertile in the coming year. So, you still have a red association with the holiday but definitely not the one we're used to today. That’s kind of weird, but not totally believable, seeing as though most holidays have some sort of pagan connections and super dark past. The identity of St. Valentine is also surrounded in clouded information and more educated guessing. Only thing certain is that a Roman priest holds the name and he was martyred in February. In my opinion modern Valentine’s day is very much a product of the various industries that benefit from it – namely, stationery, chocolate, flowers, and jewelry. Every year, billions of dollars are spent on these items. The history of the holiday is filled with speculation and darkness, but its portrayed otherwise. Anyways, its going to continue to be marketed as such, sooo much love on that day and the whole month.
In the state of Louisiana, and a few other southern states, the day before Lent is the ultimate celebration known as Mardi Gras. I am currently located in Lafayette, La and the energy in this area shifted in January to focus on Fat Tuesday celebrations. Now that we are in the actual month of, there are king cakes, masks, beads, balls, food, and everything in between to commemorate the festivities everywhere. This year the actual date is February 21st. I guarantee you in many parts of Louisiana the festivities are alive and well.
Mardi Gras is believed to have arrived in North America on March 3, 1699, when the French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville camped about 60 miles downriver from the future site of New Orleans. Knowing it was Fat Tuesday back in France, Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras and held a small gala. A few years later, French soldiers and settlers feasted and wore masks as part of Mardi Gras festivities in the newly founded city of Mobile (present-day Alabama). To this day, Mobile claims to have the oldest annual Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Mardi Gras got going in New Orleans soon after the city’s founding in 1718. The Spanish, who ruled the Big Easy from 1762 to 1800, apparently cracked down on certain Mardi Gras rituals (though documentation from that period is scarce). U.S. authorities did much the same after taking control in 1803, banning both masked balls and public disguises. Nonetheless, they eventually accepted the festival’s existence. The first recorded Mardi Gras street parade in New Orleans took place in 1837, by which time the city had transformed from a small backwater into a major metropolis. Twenty years later, six men organized a secret society called the Mistick Krewe of Comus. By holding a parade with the theme of “The Demon Actors in Milton’s Paradise Lost,” along with a lavish grand ball, Comus reversed the declining popularity of Mardi Gras and helped establish New Orleans as its clear epicenter in the United States. This year, more than 1 million visitors are expected to attend the festivities.
💎New Orleans 2023 Parade Schedule
💎Lafayette and Surrounding areas Parade Schedule
This year, Fat Tuesday means a bit more to me and my brand. I partnered with a talented friend, Ariel “Luvelements”, to work on art projects that are large in scale. Our collaborative brand, LuvSon, was commissioned to paint floats for the Krewe De Krunk this Mardi Gras season. The work spans from painting a completely custom design on a float to revitalizing a few others in their fleet. It has been the biggest project that we have done so far. The components are different completely and working outside has been a challenge over the past month. In Louisiana you never know what you are walking outside to, despite what any meteorologists says. At the time of this blog post is going up we were still very much still working on the floats. This opportunity is huge and requires alot, but we are so excited working on it, despite the workload. I’ll show where we are at this time below.
In this area we have a true light shining on the culture with a focus on Mardi Gras; his name is John Weatherall. A prominent figure in this area when it comes to documenting what’s going on in Lafayette and surrounding areas. You may have seen a few videos despite location. They are literally everywhere. I have to personally thank him for opening up the door for me to pitch my work & gain the opportunity painting floats this year. Hit the link below to check out SOME of his work…
Sending well wishes to you and yours for this month and beyond. Raise your fist. Grab a rose. Eat some king cake. May this month be good to you 🫶🏾
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