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Wear a mask to stay out of trouble
by Teressa Redding
The Metropolitan
 (Photos by Danny Holland - The Metropolitan) Myrna Castaline, who teaches mask-making workshops, holds one of her creations. She believes that masks give people an opportunity to express a part of themselves that they normally hide.
For just a moment, try to forget about it being a "Girls Gone Wild" staple. Forget about the excessive drinking, the beads in exchange for a flash, and if possible, forget, just for a second, all the excessive nudity. Without the masks, Mardi Gras in New Orleans would not be exceptionally different from most other American celebrations.
The famous Mardi Gras decorative masks are said to give anonymity so that people will be able to partake in debacles they normally would not, and participate in all the activities they will not be able to after Lent begins.
Mardi Gras, meaning Fat Tuesday in French, is the last day before Lent, the season of prayer and fasting observed by many Catholics. Mardi Gras is considered a free-for-all, a night of sin before repentance. The week of Mardi Gras is a celebration, a series of parties, parades, and masked balls.
While it's hard to envision a Mardi Gras without elaborate masks, when Louisiana was under Spanish rule, Mardi Gras masks were banned. It wasn't until 1827 when the ban was lifted that masks were legal to wear.
Although masks play a vital part in many rituals in many different cultures, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is one of the most popular American events that involves masks.
Myrna Castaline, who teaches a mask making workshop, believes that mystery and fantasy are significant reasons for most people who wear and or make masks.
"When you make and wear a mask, you can become something other than what you are every day," said Castaline. "You get a chance to play out a part of yourself that you don't normally show the world."
When it comes to the Mardi Gras masks, most people choose their anonymity in the form of the popular ceramic decorative masks. But Mardi Gras masks also come in many other forms, from papier-mache to feathers.
Masks and Mardi Gras became synonymous with each other around the time of the early private masked balls in New Orleans, also known as tableau balls, which were usually held by high society.
Now masks are worn by almost everyone who attends Mardi Gras; the people attending masked balls, crew members on floats, and tourists attending parades.
While many people choose to buy their masks, some also choose to make them.
Castaline says those who choose to make their own masks usually choose to do so as a way to express their creative individuality.
"Each stage of mask making takes on another dimension," Castaline said. "Going from your face to a white mask, to a decorative mask. Many people are surprised with the results of their finished masks."
Mask makers also control their anonymity, Castaline said. "When people make their own masks, they can reveal what they want to reveal, and hide what they want to keep secret."
While some may use masks to hide their identity in order to participate in some debauchery, some just want to have fun and play dress up.
Susan Roushey, an art major, says that while art plays a big part in the entire celebration of Mardi Gras, the masks are the best way for the individual to play out their own fantasies. "People have the opportunity to be someone else, they get to leave their obligations, or whatever problems they are having, and just have fun." Roushey believes that masks probably are the protective barrier people use to behave anyway they want before Ash Wednesday.
The tradition of masks with Mardi Gras may always stay constant, due to what Mardi Gras represents, the day before Lent, and the anonymity that individuals can assume, if they wish to hide their identity while participating in many wild activities.
Unfortunately, for Metro students who wish to take a mask making class, they will have to look outside the campus to do so.
Deborah Horner, a professor of Art Sculpture at Metro, says that while no instructors at Metro exclusively teach mask making classes, some classes have offered the opportunity to make masks.
Whether you choose to make or buy, play out a fantasy or hide your identity, without masks, Mardi Gras as we know it would cease to exist. So for all who venture down to Louisiana for a good time, besides wearing the colorful beads, making time to find or create your decorative mask can add an extra dimension to the Mardi Gras experience. |
