Whats the difference between a New Orleans “Krewe” and a Mobile “Mystic Society”?
After the Civil War, these organizations were the same. Mardi Gras has evolved differently in both cities, and these differences are reflected in the organizations that make up Mardi Gras, in the two metro areas. Most organizations in N.O. are named from mythology. Mobile’s mystic memberships are still very secret, have waiting lists to join (membership numbers are kept relatively low), etc. New Orleans Krewes place much more emphasis in presenting large entourages of royalty in parades. When the Mystic organizations were brought to New Orleans and founded Comus, the word Krewe was coined to describe them.
