In their blood

MAMOU – If one were to cut Trisha Mcgee, or any of her family members for that matter, there is a good chance that the colors of purple, yellow and green would bleed out of their veins.
That’s because Trisha and the rest of her family represent generations of involvement, dedication and passion for the Courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou’s famed traditional Mardi Gras celebration.
“It’s in our blood,” Trisha said. “We want to keep the tradition alive. It’s part of our heritage. We are going to keep our traditions as long as we can. I don’t know what we would do without it.”
Trisha’s family has been involved in Mamou Mardi Gras for generations. Trisha’s grandfather Rodnis Mcgee played fiddle on the music truck, her uncles Dale and Mike Mcgee served as Le Capitaine for the run, her father Clayton “Tiny” Mcgee ran in the event for decades and now furnishes the beer, music and chicken trucks, her cousin Gerald ran for years and served as the association’s secretary and now her 16-year-old son Christian Mcgee will be riding in the event for the second year.
“For me it was just to carry on everything and have a good time,” Christian said. “I have always enjoyed watching it and now I can take part in it.”
As many locals know, Mamou’s traditional celebration is not the one those from outside Evangeline Parish are familiar with. Courir de Mardi Gras, which is Cajun French for “Fat Tuesday Run” does not feature any of the hallmark Mardi Gras items outside revelers would expect. There are no decorated floats that roll down Main Street or beads or Moon Pies that are thrown down to crowds during a lavish parade.
None of that will be seen during the rural, and historical, Courir de Mardi Gras celebration that will take place on Tuesday. The Courir de Mardi Gras involves a large group of horse riders dressed in costumes who travel the countryside stopping at homes and farms asking for goods for a gumbo feast during the evening, while also there are wagons (or modern trucks) that have musicians and beer.
“The original idea was to go from house to house and asking for ingredients for the gumbo and you would perform for the gifts that were given to you,” Gerald said. “So you would go to a house and they would give you some rice, or roux or some sausage or a chicken. Whatever the people had to give you and that is the whole premise behind it.”
There is also the crowd-pleasing, and renowned, chasing of the chickens during the day.
Trisha, who has ridden atop of the chicken truck for more than 20 years, has the nickname “Chicken Lady.” Trisha and other helps collect the chickens after the riders are done chasing them, and bring them back to be killed, cleaned and cooked in the community gumbo.
We have people that come from New York that haven’t seen a chicken before,” Trisha said. “Heck we have some people that come from New Orleans that have never seen a chicken before and here we are chasing them.”
Mamou’s distinctive day-before Lent celebration was given new life in the 1950’s, as Alfred “Fred” Tate, Revon Reed and Paul Tate decided to revive the old traditional Cajun tradition and created the Mardi Gras Association of Mamou.
That dedication has not only survived in the decades since then, but has thrived as visitors come from all around the world to witness the unique spectacle. According to those who participate in the celebrations, it is the people who call the small Cajun town home that makes the Courir de Mardi Gras so special.
“It’s because of the people here,” Clayton said. “That’s why it succeeds. The whole community is involved.”
That’s also why the Mcgee and other families are driven to keep the legacy of the day alive and well, and have no plans of changing it to resemble what others may call “Mardi Gras.”
“We have kept our traditions longer than the bigger cities,” Gerald said. “You go to the bigger cities and they have lost their Cajun traditions.
“We refuse to change or bend our rules to cater to the public,” Gerald said. “That’s why we are more traditional. You can go see all the parades you want in Lafayette, New Orleans or Lake Charles. There’s not too many places you can go see people ride horseback going from house to house all day long. That’s what we are, that’s what we wanted to be and that’s what we want our kids and grand kids to have when its their turn.”
The 73-year-old Gerald can count on Christian to be one of those youngsters that will carry the torch of his family’s proud tradition.
“I’m a dying breed that is trying to keep the tradition alive,” Christian said. “I just don’t want to let it die in front of me.”