Traditional Cajun Mardi Gras Musician Pictures

After the traditional Cajun Mardi Gras riders spend the day passing from house to house, begging for ingredients for a gumbo, the courir comes to an end. Different towns and areas end the day slightly differently - some end with street dances in a town square, and some simply end in the front yard of a country farmhouse. Invariably, though, live music, food, and camaraderie are major parts of the day. Usually, beer or other libations also take part, in pretty serious quantity. After all, Mardi Gras is the last day of celebration before the long fasting period of Lent, an important time of year for the Cajuns, who are primarily Roman Catholic.

In this picture, you can see dancers enjoying themselves at the end of the day. The dance goes on for several hours, but traditionally finishes by midnight, when Lent officially begins.