St. Patrick's Parade
New Orleans celebrates St. Patrick's with up to a week of block parties and parades. The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club‘s Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Parade is held Uptown on a weekend – no matter when the festive day actually falls.
More of a community event than a representation of Irish culture, the parade is best known for helping us make groceries. In addition to beads and toys, riders throw cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions, ramen noodles and other stew ingredients – as well as candy, sandwich cookies, Moon Pies, pickles, jello shots, Lucky Charms cereal. Non-edible items included socks, scarves, sunglasses, stuffies, coozies, rubber duckies, and Irish Spring soap. I was even handed a large shamrock-embossed coffee mug.
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We caught 5 cabbages this year so I've already made my first stew. Next up – cole slaw. Possibly "cabbage steaks" broiled with garlic and olive oil. Maybe I'll try cabbage bread or fritters. And probably more stew.
The parade features over-1400 walkers wearing black suits and/or kilts with green accessories, who exchange kisses (mostly on the cheek) for silk flowers and other mementos.
The Irish Channel grew out of the New Basin Canal construction project in 1830’s New Orleans. Irish immigrants were hired to work the project, settling into the dock area between the French Quarter and the Garden District. My husband's family was among those workers who helped expand the city at that time.
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Established in 1947, the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club also includes the period-costume clad Irish Famine Orphans Society, the fleet feet of the Muggivan Irish Dancers, as well as the blue-stripe-painted, wigged, kilt-wearing men of the Braveheart Warriors Marching Club.
The weather was beautiful - sunny, 80 and breezy – and it was wonderful to be outside enjoying a parade again. Yes we JUST finished Mardi Gras, but I truly love a parade. Luckily, the next day was Super Sunday when the Black Masking Indians parade. I look forward to sharing the photos of their spectacular suits. While I go through the hundreds of images I got, enjoy this explanation of the tradition.
Laura Cayouette
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