The Mardi Gras mystic society of Cain’s Merry Widows (a women’s

mystic society A mystic society is a Mardi Gras social organization in Mobile, Alabama, that presents parades and/or balls for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public. The New Orleans Krewe is patterned after Mobile's Mystics."Carnival/Mobile Mardi ...

) was founded in 1974 in Mobile, Alabama, home of the first Mardi Gras in America (1703). "History timeline of Mardi Gras" (events), Museum of Mobile, 2007, webpage:
MoM
Each Mardi Gras, The ladies, known variously as "The Merry Widows of Joe Cain", "Joe Cain's Widows", or even just as "The Widows" gather on Joe Cain Day (the Sunday before Fat Tuesday), clothed in black mourning clothes with veils, to lay a wreath at Cain’s burial site at

Church Street Graveyard Church Street Graveyard is a historic city cemetery located in Mobile, Alabama. The cemetery is situated on and is surrounded by a brick wall that dates to 1830. At the time that the cemetery was established it lay about a half mile away from ...

, wail over their "departed husband's" grave, then travel to Joe Cain’s former house on Augusta Street to offer a toast and eulogy to their "Beloved Joe". The

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

-based band,

The Pine Hill Haints The Pine Hill Haints are an American traditional bluegrass/ folk/honky tonk/country band from Alabama, though the band members themselves describe their unique southern roots music as "Alabama Ghost Music." The Haints are composed of Jamie Barr ...

, perform a song titled "The Merry Widows of Joe Cain" which, in its lyrics, pays homage to

Joe Cain Joseph Stillwell Cain, Jr. (''Joe Cain'') (October 10, 1832 – April 17, 1904) is largely credited with initiating the modern way of observing Mardi Gras and its celebrations in Mobile, Alabama, following the Civil War. "Joe Cain Artic ...

, Mardi Gras tradition, and the city of Mobile itself. The band also makes it a yearly tradition to perform in Mobile each Joe Cain Day.

References

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External links

Cain's Merry Widows

Museum of Mobile, history timeline of Mardi Gras

Mobile Chamber of Commerce, on Mardi Gras events (PDF file)
Mardi Gras Carnival and Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama

See also

References

External links