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CAJUN

post- courir concerts and boucheries and street parties galore.There are runs specifically for children, like the Enfant Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point; runs specifically for men (per the antiquated tradition) and those for women; but — most commonly — the courir is waiting with open arms for any and all community members ready to share in a good time. At the mist-shrouded crack of dawn during my first courir a few years ago, I realized I had arrived to this hamlet just outside of Eunice woefully underprepared. Not because I wasn’t wildly ready to chase after A deep, dark roux is the secret to Cajun gumbo. It can requite up to an hour, though some experienced Cajun chefs can do it quickly over a higher heat. Learn all about roux, the trinity and the difference between seafood and meat gumbos in our Gumbo Guide at www.rouses.com​.

wrangling the (occasionally, ahem, inebriated) runners and keeping the jovial lot in a state of controlled chaos throughout

the day. Often mounted on horseback (and the only person allowed to be unmasked), the capitaine commands massive amounts of respect. Step out of line — or pull a wildly dingbat move like trying to remove your mask — and the capitaine will sic les villains on you. Traditionally dressed like fiendish members of the Queen of Hearts’ court (think: red, black and scary all over), they’re law enforcement for the day. Villains aren’t afraid to wield their power, whether by the bark of, “Tighten it up, Mardi Gras!” or a light flogging with a traditional burlap

whip. (All in good fun, of course.) Specific traditions shape-shift from town to town, and can involve a host of additional events revolving around the nucleus of the courir . A larger swath of communities proceed on foot and horse throughout the day, skipping and singing all the while. Others make use of wagons to haul merrymakers between neighbors’ homes. Many now combine the two methods of transportation for maximum jollity. After all, what’s better than a truck full of fiddle players rolling along beside you while you’re dancing towards the next stop? There are

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