The Twelfth Night Revelers (TNR), founded in 1870, is a

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

Krewe A krewe ( ) is a social organization that stages parades and/or balls for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations throughout ...

. It is the second oldest continuous organization of New Orleans Carnival festivities.

History and formation

In 1870, Sidney Smith, the son of a Striker from Mobile,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, organized the Twelfth Night Revelers in New Orleans, nearly 30 years after the Strikers Independent Society was formed in Mobile,

, and 13 years after the Mistick Krewe in 1857.

Carnival traditions

From its inauguration in 1870, the Twelfth Night Revelers introduced the Twelfth Night Cake or

King Cake A king cake, also known as a three kings cake or a baby cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany, the celebration of the Twelfth Night (holiday), Twelfth Night after Christmas. Its form and ingredients are va ...

cut by the leader, the Lord of Misrule. Also that year the

Grand March A triumphal march is a musical form generally reflecting a triumph, victory or great joy. Many composers have written a triumphal march, with maybe the best known one being by Italian opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi for his 1871 grand opera, '' Ai ...

, the first of the new wrinkles planned by the new krewe (and copied by almost all krewes that followed). In 1871 a Santa Claus masker appeared in a street pageant, and distributed favors to the crowd, inaugurating the practice of throwing trinkets from parades, or

throws Throwing is a physical action that consists of mechanically accelerating a projectile and then releasing it into a ballistic trajectory, usually with the aim of impacting a distant target. ''Throwing'' typically refers to hand-throwing by ani ...

. Also that year a

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

was chosen and with her a

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

of young ladies were presented as debutants. The introduction of

political satire Political satire is a type of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics. Political satire can also act as a tool for advancing political arguments in conditions where political speech and dissent are banned. Political satir ...

with its 1873 parade, titled "The World of Audubon."

Theme

Gallery

File: Twelfth Night Revelers New Orleans 1870 First Representation.jpg, 1870 Admittance Card File: TNR 1870 Opera House New Orleans.jpg, 1870 Program File: Twelfth Night Revelers invitation 1871.jpg, 1871 Invitation File: Crows in Council -Twelfth Night Revelers 1873 Carnival float design by Charles Briton.png, 1873 Float Design File: Twelfth Night Revelers New Orleans Carnival 1874.jpg, 1874 Program File: Twelfth Night Revelers Invitation1875 New Orleans.jpg, 1875 Invitation File: TNR 1876 New Orleans.jpg, 1876 Admittance Card File: Twelfth Night Revelers 1884 Invitation.png, 1884 Invitation File: 12th Night Revelers Carnival 1884 NOLA.jpg, 1884 Invitation File: TNR1907invitation.jpg, 1907 Admittance Card File: TwelfthNightReverlersInvite1912.jpg, 1912 Invitation File: Twelfth Night Revelers pageant design; watercolor by Charles Briton; THNOC, 1975.117.9.png, Twelfth Night Revelers Pageant Design, Charles Briton File: Twelfth Night Revelers Krewe Illustration.png, Twelfth Night Revelers Krewe Illustration File: Twelfth Night Pageant Illustration.png, Twelfth Night Pageant Illustration

References

{{Mardi Gras in New Orleans Mardi Gras in New Orleans Organizations established in 1870 1870 establishments in Louisiana Louisiana Creole culture in New Orleans Organizations based in New Orleans

History and formation

Carnival traditions

Theme

Gallery

See also

References