Lundi Gras

Lundi Gras is a relatively recently name for a Series of Shrove Monday events taking place during Mardi Gras. It includes the tradition of Rex, king of the New Orleans carnival, and Zulu King arriving by boat. This began in 1874, but the term Lundi Gras (French for “Fat Monday”) was not widely applied until 1987 when the arrival was brought back as part of a series of river-related events under that name. It was the creation of journalist Errol Laborde. In 1874, Rex chose to have a grand arrival in New Orleans from the Mississippi River on the Monday before Shrovetide. The landing continued until World War I stopped the Carnival in New Orleans. When the Parades returned to the street some two years later, the landing had fallen by the wayside. But in 1971 it was recreated for one time only to celebrate Rex’s centennial. In 1987 he again made a grand arrival on the Riverfront at the foot of Canal Street, but now with the phase Lundi Gras attached to the events which would include concerts and fireworks.