document_title: Sami Brady

question_text: who is sammy married to on days of our lives

root

text: Sami Brady

text: Casting[edit]

text: The character was portrayed by seven child actresses. They were: Ronit Arnoff (October 19, 1984), Lauren Ann Bundy (October 22, 1984 to April 10, 1985), Jessica Davis (December 6, 1985 to May 20, 1986), Tiffany Nicole Palma (August 7 to September 9, 1986), Ashleigh Blair Sterling (December 24, 1986 to June 5, 1990) and Christina Wagoner (August 10, 1990 to June 22, 1992). In January 1993, Alison Sweeney took over the role of Sami as a teenager.[8] This was not her first role on the show; she had previously portrayed Adrienne Johnson as a child in 1987.[9] Sweeney has cited Deidre Hall (Marlena), Drake Hogestyn (John) and Wayne Northrop (Roman) as influences on her career playing the role, stating: "I learned so many lessons from them".[9] Sweeney has said "I remember my first day at work. I was so excited to be a part of a show that I'd been a fan of". The actress also recalled her audition, and said "My first two weeks on the show I was sneaking around Salem, so there weren't a lot of lines to memorize. My first scene was with Wayne Northrop (then-Roman Brady), who pulled a gun on me and said something like 'Freeze or I'll shoot!'"[10]

tag: p

text: Sweeney's 20-year anniversary in the role arrived in early 2013.[11] Fans speculated that she might depart from the series, but Sweeney managed to ink a new deal with the show. She said, "I am super-excited to stay, and I am so honored that they asked me to stay. The job continues to surprise and challenge me. I have already shot my 20th anniversary episode, which airs on January 6, so I had this huge milestone and it's been such an amazing journey. I love my job, I love the people I work with and I love Sami."[11] In January 2014, Sweeney announced she will quit the series after 21 years. She revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, "I've been on Days of Our Lives for 21 years. I'm celebrating my 21st year and I decided that it's going to be my last year with the show," Sweeney announced. "I've been on Days of Our Lives since I was 16-years-old, and I have never had more than a two-week vacation in that whole time. It's awesome. I love Sami, I love Salem, I love my job, I love daytime, I love the fans—I love everything about it."[12][13] Sweeney's final episode aired October 30, 2014.[12][13][14][15][16][17] On April 26, 2015, Sweeney announced that she will be returning to Days of Our Lives to be part of the soap's 50th anniversary celebration, starting on October 12, 2015 and ending on November 17, 2015.[18][19][20]

text: In April 2017, it was revealed that Sweeney would return to the serial, for an "extended visit"; Sweeney confirmed she would film during May and June 2017.[21] Sweeney began making appearances on October 13, 2017.[22] Sweeney wrapped her stint on December 14, 2017.[23]

text: Character development[edit]

text: Characterization[edit]

text: Since Sweeney has stepped into the role, Sami has been showcased as the series' primary troublemaker and "the girl you loved to hate"[7] through her lying and scheming. In recent years, Sweeney has established herself as a leading heroine, with the show centering on the popular and controversial relationships between Sami and her love interests Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon & Austin Peck), Franco Kelly (Victor Alfieri), Brandon Walker (Matt Cedeno), Lucas Roberts (Bryan Dattilo), EJ DiMera (James Scott), and Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering). Originally characterized as the iron-willed daughter of Dr. Marlena Evans, Sami was transformed by writer James E. Reilly in the summer of 1994, converting the character from a stubborn moody teenager to a "conniving bitch", having her kidnap her baby sister, Belle and break up supercouple Carrie Brady and Austin Reed, including blackmail Nicole Walker and Lexie Carver on numerous incidents. However, as ratings declined in the mid-2000s, Sami's storylines proved to be "worn out" and in 2006, new Days head writers Hogan Sheffer and Meg Kelly converted to the character to a heroine by pairing her with EJ DiMera and later Rafe Hernandez. Recently, in 2013 head writers Christopher Whitesell and Gary Tomlin turned Sami back into a scheming vixen. With her son Will being tormented by Nick Fallon and her fiancé, EJ DiMera sleeping with Abigail Deveraux, Sami returned to her evil ways and culminated in her committing crimes such as planning a vengeful revenge towards Abby and EJ for their affair and convincing Adrienne that her husband, Justin the father in law of her son, Will, was having an affair. The character has been described as "vindictive"; a writer from the American newspaper Asbury Park Press wrote that: "she's so bad, she's good".[24] According to Austin American-Statesman in 1996, Sweeney had talked about "longing to play a conniving troublemaker" and she got her wish and more. Sweeney stated: "It's kind of funny that I said that  [sic] I had no idea that (the writers) would take me literally". Sweeney has said to have given a new word to "manipulative" during her portrayal of Sami.[25] In 2005, Sami manipulatively created a male alter ego, Stan. During this period of time, from February to August, Dan Wells took over the role. Sami is known for her rivalry with Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker)[26] and Sweeney has said that Sami has never had "female friends".[27]

text: Relationships[edit]

text: Sami is known for her relationships, and many "failed trips to the altar".[28] Janet Di Lauro of About.com said "No matter, Sami's always been a character who's fun to watch and root for as she's searched for her soul mate, time and time again."[29] As a teenager, she developed a crush on Austin Reed (Austin Peck), but was "devastated" when he began dating her sister Carrie Brady (Christie Clark).[30] She worked with Austin's brother Lucas to break up the couple. She ended up having a one night stand with Lucas in early 1995.[31] Di Lauro said Sami's most "diabolical plot" was drugging Austin to have sex with her, which was "the start of an elaborate scheme" where she ended up pregnant and named Austin as the father, although Lucas was the actual father.[30][32] The truth was eventually revealed and Austin, after nearly marrying Sami without loving her, reunited with Carrie.[30]

text: A bitter custody battle ensued between Lucas and Sami, who had a "love/hate" relationship over the years. Of the pairing, Sweeney said "their past is such a deep relationship and ultimately a friendship and a trust that they have with each other."[33] They ended up marrying,[34] but it was "permanently ended" when EJ DiMera (James Scott) entered the picture.[30] EJ, the son of longtime crime boss Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo), developed an obsession with Sami, and ended up controversially "raping" her.[35][36] Sami became pregnant and gave birth to twins; her daughter's father is Lucas, and son's paternity belonged to EJ.[30] EJ had asked Sami for sex to save Lucas' life, while he was trapped and nearly died.[30] This led to a sham wedding between EJ and Sami, in exchange for the DiMeras ending the fifty-year family feud between the Brady family. Although she initially hated him, the couple ended up in a "night of passion" resulting in another pregnancy.[30] Of whether EJ or Lucas was Sami's "true love," Sweeney said "I personally think Sami and Lucas truly love each other, but obviously a lot has gone on between them that has pushed them apart. Right now, they are writing Sami more focusing on EJ."[27] She also said that she enjoyed working with Scott, and called him "enchanting."[27] Of working with Dattilo, Sweeney said "I am definitely a long-standing Lumi fan and I miss working with Bryan every day. He is so fun! I was in a scene the other day and looking around, like he and I have such a history together, for some inside joke and he wasn’t on the set. It’s just strange when I don’t get to work with him all the time."[33]

text:
"16 years later, I think Sami had been through a lot of crazy stuff, to say the least. I would love to see her in new and different scenes."[27]

—Sweeney on Sami's storylines (2008)

tag: div

text: TV Guide's Nelson Branco named Lucas and Sami one of soap's greatest supercouples, and said "For years all this couple could think of was breaking up Austin and Carrie, until one magical day, partners-in-crime and cohorts Sami and Lucas realized they were in love with each other! Now as Days’ reigning super couple, they face the evil wrath of EJ and his family, The DiMeras. Will Sami marry EJ, the man who raped her to end this family feud forever — and will Lucas be able to forgive her?"[37] Despite this, the couple divorced and despite minor reunions since, haven't been a couple.[30] James Scott said "They’re not really re-visiting it. They have never done it. I think it’s about time, frankly. There is a good opportunity for story there. Alison Sweeney (Sami) and I work very well together. It’s sort of a fairy tale. They don’t play it so much now, but the Bradys and the DiMeras have a history."[38] Scott also noted that EJ and Sami "love each other" but not necessarily in a romantic way.[38] On-Air On-Soaps said "legions of fans are waiting for their beloved EJami duo to finally start a full-blown romance ... something that has been teased, and teased, and teased for years."[39] He romances with Lucas and EJ have been popular with viewers, who call the pairings 'Lumi' and 'Ejami.'[38]

text: Upon Lucas' return to Days of our Lives in 2012, a poll ran by Soap Opera Digest revealed that majority of fans wanted Lucas and Sami back together.[40] While in the Witness Protection Program while pregnant with her second child with EJ, Sami fell in love with her body guard Rafe.[30] When asked who out of Lucas, EJ or Rafe should be with Sami, Sweeney said "You can't ask that," because "that is one topic I am now scared to talk about because you say one thing and the fans get all kinds of crazy on you."[26] She said that it's so interesting to see how Sami has "grown and changed" and feels that the "relationship with Rafe is definitely a different one from the way she’s been in the past."[26] Fans refer to Sami and Rafe as 'Safe'.[41] Sweeney said that it's been fun getting "to know Galen" and said "We have fun working together, and it’s nice. It’s a new, different storyline for Sami."[33]

text: Children[edit]

text: Sami is mother to four children: Will Horton, Johnny DiMera, Allie Horton, Sydney DiMera, and believed that Grace Brady was her daughter as well. Grace had been switched at birth with Sydney. Grace has since died and Sydney returned to Sami to raise. Janet Di Lauro of About.com said, "While Sami wouldn’t exactly be called lucky at love, let’s face it, most of her couplings have been wildly dysfunctional, her romances have produced four beautiful children: Will, Allie, Johnny and Sydney."[30]

text: By 2009, Will was 16 years old; Sweeney said, "It’s sort of overwhelming to me sometimes to realize my character has a sixteen-year-old," considering she started working on Days of our Lives at 16, but she enjoys the dynamics between Will and Sami.[33] In 2012, Sami and Lucas' son Will came out as gay.[42] While Lucas was accepting, Sami was initially "responsible for the other point of view," according to Dattilo. Sweeney said that viewers can expect Sami to "have a traditional Sami reaction," because it's "such a vulnerable moment."[42] Sweeney explained that Sami thinks it's because of her, and "She has to sort through all of those feelings and talk to lots of people in Salem about it." She added, "Sami loves her son so much, but she just always seems to say the wrong thing. She always puts her foot in her mouth."[42]

text: Storylines[edit]

text: Samantha Gene Brady is born on October 16, 1984, changed to October 16, 1977, with her twin brother Eric Brady to Marlena Evans and Roman Brady. Sami is named after her deceased aunt, Samantha Evans and Marlena's best friend, Eugene Bradford. A feud between the Brady family and the powerful DiMera family puts the infants in danger. Roman sends them to live in Colorado after their mother's disappearance. In 1993, Sami reappears in Salem as a teenager. She develops a crush on her sister's boyfriend, Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon). She is traumatized after seeing her mother having sex with John Black (Drake Hogestyn) which leads to an affair that results in the birth of Sami's sister, Belle. At the time, Marlena was "married" to Roman. Sami's mental health spirals downward, and she becomes a bulimic in an attempt to lose weight. Sami later tells Marlena that she witnessed her having sex with John. Knowing that she is John's child, Sami, who volunteers at the Salem Hospital, switches Belle's blood test. She then kidnaps Belle and places her on the black market. John rescues Belle on Christmas Eve. On Belle's christening, Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) shows Roman Sami's diary which reveals the affair and Belle's paternity. Roman leaves Marlena, devastating Sami.

text: Sami befriends Lucas Roberts (Bryan Dattilo) and dates his friend Alan Harris (Paul Kersey), whom her family strongly opposes. Sami's best friend Jamie overhears Alan talk about being in love with Carrie, but keeps this from Sami. Frustrated by his unrequited love for Carrie, Alan rapes Sami. Sami confides in Lucas, but without corroborating proof, the press vilifies Sami as a liar once the news gets out. Alan tries to rape her again, and she stops him by shooting him in the groin. Distraught, Lucas manages to comfort Sami; and they have sex. She still, however, has a crush on Austin and drugs him into bed so he would believe she was Carrie. After her divorce from Roman, Marlena becomes vulnerable and is possessed by the devil. While possessed, Marlena tells Sami to seduce Austin. She tries, but Austin rejects her. Sami leaves town in February 1995.

text: Sami returns in July of that year and crashes Austin's wedding to Carrie claiming that she is carrying his child. After a rough teen pregnancy, Sami gives birth to William Robert Reed on November 16, 1995. Sami hides the fact that Will is actually Lucas' son, and passes him off as Austin's. Austin and Sami are engaged and plan to wed. However, he leaves her at the altar after Carrie uncovers the truth about Will's paternity. Sami renames her son William Reed Roberts and leaves town. She returns and befriends Franco Kelly (Victor Alfieri). They become engaged; Franco is using her to get a greencard and stay in the country. He is murdered on their wedding day. Sami sees the body and faints near it. Lucas's mother Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) frames Sami for the murder so that she will go to jail and Lucas can have full custody of Will. Sami is convicted and sentenced to death for the murder. In the middle of her execution via injection, Lucas confesses to the murder in an attempt to save her life. Unbeknownst to Lucas, Roberto signed a false confession on his death bed which leads to a stay of execution from the governor. Sami is freed and falls in love with Brandon Walker (Matt Cedeno), who helps her regain full custody of Will. Brandon and Sami are married briefly. However, her lies and schemes end the marriage. Sami has an accident at the DiMera mansion and falls through the window. Lucas helps her recover and they fall in love. The become engaged, much to Kate's chagrin. Kate drugs Sami and places her in Brandon's bed the night before her marriage to Lucas in a bid to end the engagement. Lucas leaves Sami.

text: Sami's sorely compromised psychological state deteriorates to such a degree that Sami begins to work for Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis), becomes a transvestite under an assumed name, "Stan", and sells illicit drugs to a pain-wracked John Black, all out of a base-born, suppositious need for revenge. Attempting to redeem herself, Sami convinces Lucas that Kate had set her up; that she was never unfaithful. The two reunite and agree to marry once again.

text: Lucas believes that Sami has changed for the better, but Kate reveals Sami's misdeeds as "Stan," and Lucas calls off the wedding. Austin Reed returns to Salem and befriends Sami. Carrie Brady also returns after ending her relationship with Mike Horton. Lucas and Austin, now business rivals, attempt to buy out Carrie's company. Lucas backs out, finding out that Carrie runs the entire company, and that once again, Sami manipulated him. Austin and Carrie fall back in love and plan their future together when Carrie learns that Austin's company has taken over Highstyle. Carrie dates Lucas on the rebound. Austin does the same with Sami, and both couples become engaged.

text: Sami's relationship to Austin is tested however, when E.J. Wells (James Scott), an English race car driver, moves into the apartment next to theirs. When Sami and Austin's wedding ends in disaster, EJ and Sami kiss for the first time. Carrie ends her relationship with Lucas and remarries Austin. They leave to start a life together in Switzerland.

text: Sami turns to E.J., and the two begin dating. Sami then discovers that not only is c sleeping with Kate but that he is also Stefano's son. Sami and Lucas rekindle their love in spite of Kate, and the two decide to take a road trip. Their car breaks down in a snow storm, and they seek shelter in an abandoned cabin where they make love. Weighed down by snow, the crumbling ceiling caves in. Lucas is trapped, Sami runs to get help, meets up with E.J. in a snow drift, and asks him to help her. Revealing himself as a true DiMera, E.J. agrees to help Sami only if she has sex with him. In subsequent weeks, E.J. continues to taunt Sami with reminders of the deal they made that night. Sami tells Lucas about her pregnancy and they get married; the night of their wedding, he learns about E.J. raping her. Her pregnancy was full of speculation about who the father of her unborn twins were. She later gives birth to: John "Johnny" Roman Roberts (later legally changed to John Roman DiMera) and Alice "Allie" Caroline Horton. It was revealed after a paternity test that E.J. was Johnny's father and Allie was Lucas' daughter. Sami makes the painful decision to end her marriage to Lucas and marry E.J. to end the Brady-DiMera feud. At her wedding to E.J., Lucas, Marlena and Kate attempt to shoot E.J. Lucas is arrested and sent to prison, and Will leaves for Switzerland. It is later revealed that Will was the actual shooter and Lucas went to prison to protect his son.

text: E.J. tries to take custody of Johnny. But immigration wants to deport E.J., and Sami helps him by moving into the DiMera mansion with Johnny to show to immigration that they are a happily married couple. They have sex, and Lucas, released on house arrest, sees them at it. Although Sami ends her marriage to E.J., Lucas doesn't forgive her. E.J. moves on to Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker), and Sami finds out she is pregnant again. She doesn't tell E.J., and after witnessing a murder, she goes into witness protection. She befriends her guard, Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering), and gives birth to a daughter. Nicole miscarries E.J.'s child but pretends to still be pregnant and secretly illegally adopts a baby girl to pass off to E.J. as their own. Nicole then finds out that Sami's baby daughter is actually E.J.'s and she secretly switches the two baby girls, so that E.J. will be raising a child that is really his. Nicole's switch works and she begins raising Sami's child, Sydney DiMera, as her own. Sami is in love with Rafe, and together they raise the adopted baby, called Grace, thinking she is Sami's. But Grace contracts meningitis and dies, and Sami confesses to E.J. that Grace was "his", and E.J. is furious. Eventually, the baby switch is revealed and Sami is reunited with Sydney. But for revenge against Sami, E.J. kidnaps Sydney and makes everyone think she is dead. But he falls back in love with Sami and returns Sydney to her, pretending to be the hero. E.J. and Sami reconnect, and after her relationship with Rafe ends, she becomes engaged to E.J. However, at the wedding, Rafe presents evidence to Sami that E.J. was behind Sydney's kidnapping. She leaves E.J. for Rafe, and discovers that he had a plan to kidnap both his children and take them away forever. To stop him, she shoots him in the head. Rafe proposes to her while E.J. narrowly escapes death. He later wins full custody of the children and Sami marries Rafe. Johnny is diagnosed with eye cancer and she regains joint custody. After allowing Johnny and Sydney back into their mother's life, Stefano and E.J. switch Rafe with an impostor whose face they surgically alter so he can pose as Rafe's double.

text: The DiMeras' schemes are eventually revealed, and after some months, the real Rafe is reunited with Sami. During a family get-together for John Black, Johnny goes missing and Sami rushes to the DiMera mansion insisting that E.J. has him. They see in a news report that Johnny has "died" and in their grief, have sex, and Will sees them at it! However, the news report turns out to be false and Johnny is found alive and well. Will is angry with his mom for being unfaithful to Rafe, and when Rafe finds out about it Sami's marriage to Rafe ends.[43] Lucas returns to town and Sami and Lucas reconnect. They are taken aback when Will reveals to them that he is gay. Sami initially runs out on Will, but she soon comes round to support him. Stefano is apparently murdered, and E.J. is held responsible, and Sami decides to help prove his innocence, much to Lucas's dismay. Sami's reunion with Lucas ends. Stefano is revealed to be alive, and E.J. is cleared for murder.

text: Sami starts to feel torn between E.J. and Rafe. Rafe & Sami agree to give their relationship a second chance. Sami plans Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus) & Nick Fallon's (Blake Berris) wedding, wanting to tell E.J. her decision after the wedding. However, during the wedding, it is revealed that Nick isn't the father of Gabi's unborn baby – Will is. Sami is furious with Gabi, and Rafe defends his sister, insulting Will in the process.Sami is furious and breaks up with Rafe. Sami eventually tells E.J. about Rafe and her plan to leave him. E.J. forgives her, and they reunite. Nick demands Will sign away his paternal rights to the baby. When Sami, Lucas, and E.J. try to stop him, Nick reveals that he knows Will was responsible for shooting E.J. in 2007. Will signs away his rights to avoid being prosecuted, and Sami is devastated. She and E.J. team up to stop Nick's blackmail of Will. When Stefano returns, Sami and E.J. decide to get his help to destroy evidence the police has against Will. Sami and E.J. stay together through the situation, and become engaged in April 2013.

text: Soon after, Rafe is attacked, and ends up in a coma. Initially, the police suspect E.J., as does Sami, but she eventually realizes his innocence. The real attacker, Jensen, is revealed to be targeting Nick. He kidnaps Nick & Gabi, and ends up shooting Will when he tries to rescue Nick. Sami comes to the hospital and finds out Gabi's baby was born; she meets her granddaughter, Arianna Grace, for the first time. Sami visits Rafe while in the hospital, and while there, sees a man come in with a knife about to kill Rafe. Sami shoots him to protect Rafe. E.J. tries to calm her down, while Roman and the police search for the missing knife. Sami and E.J. realize the man she shot was a police officer who was working for Stefano; the officer dies after surgery, and the knife is never recovered. Sami is arrested for murder by Roman. Once exonerated, Sami and E.J. marry, only for E.J. to be arrested for tax fraud; Sami confronts both E.J. and Abigail Deveraux (Kate Mansi) for the affair the pair had behind her back, and uses her power to take DiMera Enterprises away from the DiMera family with Kate. Sami begins to forgive and re-trust EJ and they re-unite, but E.J. is shot in the Salem park, and Sami finds him just before he dies. It is October 2014, and Sami, overcome with grief, accepts a movie deal with Hollywood executives to build a story about her life, with Will penning the screenplay, and she and the children relocate to Los Angeles. When Will is fired from the movie, he goes back to Salem where, in October 2015, he is apparently murdered by Abigail's new fiancé, Ben Weston. Sami comes back to Salem to mourn Will. Whilst in Salem she discovers that Ben's father Clyde was the one who had gotten EJ shot, and she also finds a letter from EJ which leads her to believe EJ might be alive. The letter contains instructions which lead Sami to a safe deposit box containing the passwords to Stefano's bank account, but she is kidnapped by Stefano's son Andre DiMera who wants the passwords from her. Sami escapes and she steals Stefano's fortune. She takes the kids around Europe as she pursues clues that EJ may still be alive. In October 2017 she learns that Ben Weston has escaped from custody, and is claiming that Will is alive, and Sami once again returns to Salem to find out the truth.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Sweeney’s portrayal of "Salem’s resident bad girl"[7] has earned her various fan awards during her run, including five Soap Opera Digest Awards[44] and a Special Fan Award for "America's Favorite Villain" at the 2002 Daytime Emmy Award ceremony.[7] In 2005, the role was briefly recast with Dan Wells as the character of Sami's male alter ego "Stan" while Sweeney was on maternity leave.[7] For her work in the role, Sweeney has won Soap Opera Digest Awards for "Best Performance in a Daytime Drama — Young Actress" (1997), "Best Youth Actress in a Soap Opera" (1994) and "America's Favorite Villain" (2002). Sweeney has also won seven Soap Opera Digest Awards, including three wins for "Outstanding Villainess" in 1996, 1998 and 1999.[45] In 2015, Sweeney earned a nomination for the 42nd Daytime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Sami.[46]


document_title: Mardi Gras in the United States

question_text: where was the first mardi gras held in the united states

question_tokens: where was the first mardi gras held in the united states

text: Mardi Gras in the United States

text: Early days in American colonies[edit]

text: Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a sedate French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers,[3] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.[3]

text: The expedition, led by Iberville, entered the mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of March 2, 1699, Lundi Gras, not yet knowing it was the river explored and claimed for France by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1683.  The party proceeded upstream to a place on the west bank about 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today, where a small tributary emptied into the great river, and made camp in what is now Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.  This was on March 3, 1699, Mardi Gras day, so in honor of this holiday, Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") and called the small tributary Bayou Mardi Gras.[4] Bienville went on to found Mobile, Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana.[5] In 1703 French settlers in that city began to celebrate the Mardi Gras tradition.[3][6][7]  By 1720, Biloxi was made capital of Louisiana. While it had French settlers, Mardi Gras and other customs were celebrated with more fanfare given its new status.[3]  In 1723, the capital of French Louisiana was moved to New Orleans, founded in 1718.[5] With the growth of New Orleans as a city and the creolization of different cultures, the varied celebration of Mardi Gras became the event most strongly associated with the city.[3]  In more recent times, several U.S. cities without a French Catholic heritage have instituted the celebration of Mardi Gras, which sometimes emerged as grassroots movements to help accompany single people to celebrate something in late Winter which is often dominated by the commercialized and couple-centric Valentine's Day, and as a result it has been co-opted as the single people's late Winter holiday.

text: Alabama[edit]

text: Mardi Gras is an official state holiday in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Other counties in the state grant employees a day of personal leave in lieu of Mardi Gras.[8]

text: Mobile[edit]

text: Mobile, founded by Bienville in 1702, is known for having the oldest organized Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, beginning in 1703.[9] It was also host to the first formally organized Mardi Gras parade in the United States in 1830.[9]

text:
Mobile's Mardi Gras celebrations revolve around mystic societies, private social organizations that have been a fundamental part of the social and business fabric of the city. The mystic societies are organizations, similar to krewes in New Orleans, that present parades, masked balls, and activities for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public.[10]  Mystic society membership is secret.[10]  The mystic societies build colorful Carnival floats and parade throughout downtown Mobile during the Carnival season with masked society members tossing small gifts, known as "throws", to the parade spectators.[11]
Throws were first introduced in Mobile during an 1837 Cowbellion de Rakin Society parade.  They initially consisted of sugar plumbs, kisses, and oranges.[9]  Currently, throws may be trinkets, candy, cookies, peanuts, women's panties, artificial roses, stuffed animals, doubloons, cups, hats, can coolers, Frisbees, medallion necklaces, bead necklaces of every variety, and the iconic Moon Pies.[10]

text: Mobile's mystic societies give formal masquerade balls, known as bal masqués, which are almost always invitation only and are oriented to adults.[10]  Attendance at a ball requires that a strict dress code, or costume de rigueur, be followed.  The formal dress code usually involves full-length evening gowns for women and white tie with tails for male invited guests, and masked costumes for society members.[10]  The balls feature dramatic entertainment, music, dancing, food, and drinks.[10] Balls are usually based upon a theme which is carried out through scenery, decorations, costumes, and a tableau vivant.[10]

text:
Mobile first celebrated Carnival in 1703 when French settlers began the festivities at the Old Mobile Site.[12]  Mobile's first Carnival society was organized in 1704, when Nicholas Langlois founded Société de Saint Louis.[13]
In 1711 it was renamed the Boeuf Gras Society (Fatted Ox Society) (1711–1861).[14] In 1830 Mobile's Cowbellion de Rakin Society was the first formally organized and masked mystic society in the United States to celebrate with a parade.[12][15]  The Cowbellions got their start when Michael Krafft, a cotton factor from Pennsylvania, began a parade with participants' carrying rakes, hoes, and cowbells.[15] The "Cowbellions" introduced horse-drawn floats to the parades in 1840 with a parade entitled, "Heathen Gods and Goddesses".[14]  The Striker's Independent Society was formed in 1843.  It is the oldest surviving mystic society or krewe in the United States.[14]

text: In 1856 six businessmen, formerly of Mobile, gathered at a club room in New Orlean's French Quarter to organize a secret society to observe Mardi Gras with a formal parade.  They founded New Orleans' first and oldest krewe, the Mistick Krewe of Comus.[16][17]  Carnival celebrations in Mobile were cancelled during the American Civil War.  In 1866 Joe Cain revived the Mardi Gras parades by portraying a fictional Chickasaw chief named Slacabamorinico while parading in costume through the city streets on Fat Tuesday.  He celebrated the day in front of Union Army occupation troops.[18]  The Order of Myths, Mobile's oldest mystic society that continues to parade, was founded in 1867 and held its first parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868.[14]  The Infant Mystics also began to parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868,  but later moved their parade to Lundi Gras.[14]

text: The Mobile Carnival Association was formed in 1871 to coordinate the events of Mardi Gras.  That year was also the occasion of the First Royal Court at which was crowned the first king of Carnival, Emperor Felix I.[14]  The Comic Cowboys of Wragg Swamp were established in 1884, along with their mission of satire and free expression.[14]  The Continental Mystic Crew mystic society was founded in 1890; it was Mobile's first Jewish mystic society.[12]  In 1894 the Order of Doves mystic society was founded and held its first Mardi Gras ball. It was the first African-American mystic society in Mobile.[12]  In 1929 the Infant Mystics, the second oldest society that continues to parade, introduced the first electric floats to Mobile.[14] In 1939 the Colored Carnival Association was founded and had its first parade; it was later renamed the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association.[12]  In 1980 the Order of Osiris, the oldest surviving gay and lesbian mystic society in Mobile, held its first ball.[14]  In 1995 the 1st Mobile International Carnival Ball was held, with every known Mobile mystic society in attendance.[14]  In 2002, Mobile celebrated its Tricentennial with parades representing every known mystic society.[14]  A documentary film, The Order of Myths, was released in 2008 with a focus on Mardi Gras celebrations and how race and class influences many aspects of Mardi Gras in the city, including the mystic societies.[19]  According to statistics from the Alabama Tourism Department, Mobile Mardi Gras is the most-attended annual event in the state.  The event attracted more than 800,000 people in 2010 and more than one million in 2011.[20][21]

text: Demopolis[edit]

text: Demopolis, another Alabama city with French roots, has held an annual Mardi Gras masquerade ball since 2008.[22][23]  The ball, hosted by the Marengo County Historical Society, is held at one of the city's historic mansions, Lyon Hall.[22]

text: The city was founded and named by a group of French expatriates, a mix of exiled former Bonapartists and other French migrants who settled in the United States following the overthrow of the colonial government in Saint-Domingue (Haiti). The name means the People's City or City of the People.  First settled in 1817, Demopolis is one of the oldest continuous settlements in the state outside of coastal Alabama.[24][25]

text: Arkansas[edit]

text: Eureka Springs[edit]

text: Eureka Gras is a celebration of Mardi Gras in the Ozark Mountain resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Begun in 2006 as a "one car parade" conducted by New Orleanian Daniel Ellis after he moved to Eureka Springs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is now run by a so-called "Krewe of Krazo" ("Ozark" spelled in reverse) and has grown into a month-long celebration with a parade running more than an hour, multiple balls, and other events.[26]

text: California[edit]

text: San Francisco[edit]

text: Carnaval San Francisco is an annual street parade and festival in San Francisco at the end of May.

text: San Diego[edit]

text: As of 2005, there is a corporate-sponsored party in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego.[27] In addition there is a San Diego Brazil Carnival Ball that is part of the San Diego Carnival Mardi Gras season.

text: San Luis Obispo[edit]

text: Mardi Gras celebrations in San Luis Obispo have been controversial in recent years.  In 2005 leaders of this Central California city called for an end to public celebrations, as the city had become a destination for students from across the state, and celebrations had gotten out of control.

text: Florida[edit]

text: Pensacola[edit]

text: Pensacola, Florida hosts a Mardi Gras Celebration. The Pensacola celebrations also use Moon Pies in combination with beads, coins, candies & Krewe-related trades.  The Pensacola festivities and the Krewes that sponsor them often are more light-hearted and family-oriented than some in other venues.  The name of a number of the Krewes are puns of the names of historic Krewes in New Orleans and Mobile.

text: The annual Pensacola celebration, is among the oldest in the United States, dating back to 1874. Festivities typically took place on the eponymous Tuesday itself and the preceding week.

text: The first organized secular celebration of Carnival in Pensacola was in 1874, when a group of men including B. F. Yniestra, D. G. and F. C. Brent, D. K. Huckley and Dr. J. C. Whiting established the Knights of Priscus Association. The name Priscus came from Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome who:

text: was the first Roman king to wear a purple robe, and golden crown on his head. He established the circus or place where games could be held, also increased the number of Roman knights, and built a stone wall around the city. His majesty of our carnival, like his prototype of old Rome, knows that "A little folly now and then / Is relished by the best of men."[28]

text: The event became unorganized, having "fallen entirely into the hands of individual merry-makers and frolickers who disported themselves as their own wild merriment dictated,"[28] but was reorganized by the Clerks Union in 1900. They formed the Pensacola Carnival Association with a 12-person committee led by chairman J. I. Johnson. Priscus remained the title of the festival's ceremonial king, and Alexander Clement Blount II was named the first King Priscus of the new group.

text: Pensacola's first ladies mystic society, the "Pompadour Mystic Society" (the Pompadours), held its first annual Mystic Ball at the Armory Hall on February 19, 1909, crowning Dudley Thornton as King.[29] The "Revellers of Ariola", Pensacola's first male mystic society, was organized in 1909[30] and held its first Tableau Ball at the K of C Hall on January 28, 1910 crowning Miss Cornelia Bass as Queen of Ariola.[31] In 1936, the female krewe "Merry Markers" held its first ball in 1936.[32] With the exception of the Pompadours, these founding Carnival Season organizations remain active in Pensacola's celebrations to this day.

text: The public celebration is currently organized by Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc., and Pensacola Mardi Gras krewes parades and balls occur in the weekend prior to Fat Tuesday.

text: Parades are on Friday night ("Krewe of Lafitte"), Saturday afternoon (the "Grand Parade"),  and the "Krewe of Wrecks" parade on Pensacola Beach on Sunday.  No parades are held on Mardi Gras, itself.

text: Many krewes in Pensacola are smaller than in Mobile or New Orleans, so typically a parade has floats sponsored by numerous different krewes, rather than a single krewe having its own parade.

text: Older krewes holding Carnival balls but do not parade, include the Rebellaires (1947), Pierrettes, Mystic Maids sand Marionettes. Parading krewes include: Krewe of African Kings, Krewe of African Queens, Krewe of Andres de Pez, Krewe of Aphrodite, Krewe of Avant Garde, Krewe of Brewe, Krewe of Hip Huggers, Krewe of Jesters, Krewe of Lafitte, Mayoki Indians, Krewe of Nauga, Krewe of Seville, Krewe of the Silver Slipper, Krewe of Warriors, Mystic Krewe of Nereids, Krewe du YaYas, Order of Odin and Krewe of Gatsby Girls.

text: Hollywood[edit]

text: Hollywood, Florida hosts Mardi Gras festivities in the downtown area and a Fat Tuesday celebration on Hollywood Beach Broadwalk with live entertainment and Creole food. Fiesta Tropicale emerged from a Hollywood tradition that started in 1935 as Fiesta of the Nations, a celebration of different cultures featuring performances by costumed children at Hollywood Central School. In 1997, a core group of Hollywood residents re-established the Mardi Gras celebration as Fiesta Tropicale of Hollywood, Inc. where krewes built floats and second lined through the downtown business district.

text: Orlando[edit]

text: In Orlando, the Universal Studios Florida theme park hosts an annual Mardi Gras celebration. This event features concerts by top musical acts, a Mardi Gras parade, and more. The event takes place over multiple weekends from February to April at the park, and is included with the regular daily admission to the park.

text: Louisiana[edit]

text: New Orleans[edit]

text: New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city to mingle with the locals at the famed parties and parades.  As many as a half-million spectators have been estimated by officials to line the route of major parades. The first Mardi Gras festivities in Louisiana were held on March 3, 1699. On that day, a group of French explorers set up camp on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about 60 miles downriver from what is now New Orleans. The group's leader, Pierre Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville dubbed the spot La Pointe du Mardi Gras. Three hundred years later, the Rex organization put a marker at the site.[33]

text: An account from 1743 notes that the custom of holding Carnival balls was established by that date, during the time when Bienville was governor. On Mardi Gras, there were masques and processions in the streets of the city, although they were, at times, prohibited by law. The celebrations were quickly resumed whenever restrictions were lifted or the enforcement of them was lax. In 1833, Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, a rich plantation owner, raised the money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration.

text: On Mardi Gras of 1857 the Mistick Krewe of Comus held its first parade.  Comus is the oldest continuously active Mardi Gras organization.  It originated a number of traditions that continue today (such as the use of floats in parades) and is considered the first Carnival krewe in the modern sense of the term.

text: In 1875, the state of Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal holiday.[34] Economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to the cancellation of some or all of the major parades, especially during the American Civil War, World War I and World War II, but Carnival has always been observed in the city in some way.[34]

text: The last large parades went through the narrow streets of the city's old French Quarter neighborhood in 1972.  Larger floats and crowds and safety concerns led the city government to prohibit big parades in the Quarter.

text: In 1991, the New Orleans city council passed an ordinance that required social organizations, including Mardi Gras Krewes, to certify publicly that they did not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, in order to obtain parade permits and other public licenses.[35] The ordinance required these and other private social groups to abandon their traditional code of secrecy and identify their members for the city's Human Relations Commission. In protest, the 19th century krewes Comus and Momus stopped parading.[36] Proteus did parade in the 1992 Carnival season, but returned to the parade schedule in 2000.  Two federal courts later declared that the ordinance was an unconstitutional infringement on First Amendment rights of free association, and an unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of the groups subject to the ordinance. The Supreme Court refused to hear the city's appeal of their decision.  Today, many krewes operate under a business structure – membership is open to anyone who pays dues to have a place on a parade float.

text: The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans in late 2005 caused a few people to question the future of the city's Mardi Gras celebrations.  The city government, essentially bankrupt after the storm, pushed for a massively scaled back celebration to limit strains on city services. However, many krewes insisted that they wanted to and would be ready to parade, so negotiations between krewe leaders and city officials resulted in a compromise schedule, scaled back but less severely than originally suggested. The 2006 New Orleans' Carnival schedule included the Krewe du Vieux on its traditional route through Marigny and the French Quarter on February 11, then several parades on Saturday, the 18th, and Sunday the 19th, followed by six days of parades starting Thursday night, the 23rd, until Mardi Gras Day, the 28th. Other than Krewe du Vieux and two Westbank parades that went through Algiers, all New Orleans parades were restricted to the Saint Charles Avenue Uptown to Canal Street route, a section of the city which escaped significant flooding. Restrictions were placed on the amount of time parades could be on the street and how late they could go.

text: Louisiana State troopers and National Guard assisted with crowd control for the first time since 1979. Many of the floats had been partially submerged in the floodwaters for weeks. While some krewes repaired and removed all traces of these effects, others incorporated flood lines and other damage into the designs of the floats. Most of the locals who worked on the floats and rode on them were significantly impacted by the storm, and many had lost most or all of their possessions, but their enthusiasm for Carnival was even more intense than usual and celebrated as an affirmation of life. The themes of many costumes and floats had more barbed satire than usual, with commentary on the trials and tribulations of living in the devastated city, with references to MREs, Katrina refrigerators and FEMA trailers, along with much mocking of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local and national politicians.

text: It is impossible to estimate how synonymous Mardi Gras and New Orleans have become in popular culture. In 1926, Ferde Grofe wrote an orchestral cycle called the Mississippi Suite, the last movement featuring a musical depiction of Mardi Gras in the French Quarter. Since then the influence of Fat Tuesday on American culture has only increased, as evidenced by the wealth of songs, films, and television shows about the notorious festival.

text: Alexandria[edit]

text: Alexandria, which is located in the heart of Central Louisiana (CenLa), enjoys a blend of Mardi Gras traditions in keeping with the area's reputation as the "cultural crossroads" of the state.  In addition to Mardi Gras balls, parties, and other functions, it hosts several parades, including the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association (AMGA) Krewe Parade, traditionally on the Sunday before Mardi Gras, a Children's parade, and the "Krewe of Provine" Parade, usually held on Mardi Gras Day.  In 2008, the "College Cheerleaders and Classic Cars" parade made its debut with warm reception.  The area's parades are known for their mix of traditional Mardi Gras fun and revelry with a family-friendly environment.  They attract people from as far away as Texas and Mississippi.

text: Baton Rouge[edit]

text: Baton Rouge hosts eight parades, including the Spanish Town Parade, Krewe of Southdowns, Krewe of Mutts (dog parade), Krewe Mystique, and Parades such as the Krewe of Orion, Krewe of Artemis, Krewe of Jupiter, and Krewe of Poseidon(new for 2010) which offer more of a traditional New Orleans-style parade. All parades take place downtown, with the exception of the annual Southdowns parade, which runs through the Southdowns subdivision just south of Downtown.

text: Houma[edit]

text: Houma hosts a significant Mardi Gras celebration of ten parades, two of which roll on Mardi Gras day, and the others on the two weekends preceding the big day. King Houmas rules on Fat Tuesday itself.  Law enforcement officials estimated that in 2008, more than 150,000 people lined the route of his parade.  Mardi Gras has been celebrated annually in Houma since 1947. "Krewe of Hercules", "Krewe of Aquarius", "Krewe of Hyacinthians", "Krewe of Titans", "Krewe of Aphrodite", "Krewe of Mardi Gras", "Krewe of Terreanians", "Krewe of Cleopatra", "Krewe of Houmas", and the "Krewe of Kajuns" make up the ten parades. Houma is about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans.

text: Lafayette[edit]

text: Lafayette is home to the state's second largest Mardi Gras celebration,[37][38][39][40] which includes eight parades of floats and bands during the Carnival season. The first parade, ten days before Mardi Gras, is the celebrity-led "Krewe of Carnivale en Rio Parada", featuring over 600 riders.  Parade royalty on Fat Tuesday includes King Gabriel and Queen Evangeline, named for the hero and heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem; and King Toussaint L'Ouverture and Queen Suzanne Simonet, named for the great Haitian historical leaders.  Mardi Gras parades have been an annual tradition in Lafayette since 1934.  Recent attendance on Mardi Gras day has been estimated as high as 250,000 by police spokespersons. The first formal Mardi Gras ball and parade in Lafayette dates back to 1869.

text: In 1897, King Attakapas, the first Lafayette Mardi Gras king was crowned. He rode into town on a Southern Pacific train decorated to look like a royal throne and led the parade.  After 1897, formal Mardi Gras parades and balls seemed to come and go until 1934 when the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras association was formed by representatives from civic and service organizations to ensure that Lafayette would always have a Mardi Gras celebration.

text: Lake Charles[edit]

text: Lake Charles hosts a family-friendly Mardi Gras celebration with nine parades.[41] With over 50 krewes, it is second only to New Orleans in the number of krewes in Louisiana.[42] The Lake Charles Mardi Gras celebration is unique in that it is the only place in Louisiana where the public is invited to see the costumes of the all the krewes in one place, at the Lake Charles Civic Center.[43] Mardi Gras began in Lake Charles as early as 1882 when King Momus landed on the lakefront to begin the celebration.[44] With the onset of the World Wars, Mardi Gras in Lake Charles was not celebrated as much, but was revived in the latter part of the century. This celebration begins in Lake Charles on January 6 each year. The last parade is the Krewe of Krewes Parade in downtown Lake Charles.[45] Mardi Gras in Lake Charles regularly draws 150,000 people.[46] In addition, Mardi Gras can be enjoyed in Lake Charles year round at the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu, which features elaborate costumes and an interactive float.[47] This museum houses the world's largest collection of Mardi Gras costumes.[48]

text: New Roads[edit]

text: New Roads another Mardi Gras celebration outside New Orleans.[49] The family-friendly celebration has been an annual event since 1922 and includes two parades on Fat Tuesday: the Community Center Carnival parade, one of the nation's oldest African-American sponsored events, which rolls in the morning; and the New Roads Lions Carnival parade, the first-known Mardi Gras parade to be staged as a charitable fundraiser, which rolls in the afternoon.

text: Each parade consists of as many as 35 floats built fresh each year, and 10 marching bands and drill units. Unlike the exclusivity of krewe parades in New Orleans and other cities, New Roads' parades are open to public participation, with local schools, churches, organizations, businesses and families building, entering and riding the floats. New Roads' proximity to the Baton Rouge metropolitan area results in an unusually large number of visitors to the New Roads parades, the town's normal size considering. Law enforcement officials have estimated New Roads parade attendance as high as 100,000 in years marked by favorable weather.[50][51][52]

text: Shreveport[edit]

text: Shreveport, located in the Northwestern corner of the state, has numerous krewes, including several that do not parade. Some of them include Atlas, Sobek, Harambee, Centaur, Gemini, Highland, and Asclepius. Thousands of people come to Shreveport to see the parades each year. History has it that Shreveport was said to had Mardi Gras parades beginning after the Civil War.  However, the Great Depression ended the celebration for years. In 1989 the parade tradition was renewed by the Krewe of Gemini parade. With their New Orleans style floats, Gemini has grown to the biggest krewe in Shreveport, peaking at over 300 members a couple of years ago.

text: Courir de Mardi Gras[edit]

text: In parts of Cajun country, such as Eunice, Basile, Church Point and Mamou, the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras (French for the "Mardi Gras Run") is still held. Le Capitaine leads masked men on horseback to gather ingredients for making the communal meal (usually a gumbo).  Participants gather in costume and move from home to home requesting ingredients for the night's meal. This rural Mardi Gras draws on traditions that are centuries old.  Revelers sing "La Chanson de Mardi Gras", a song echoing medieval melodies.

text: People escape from ordinary life partly through the alcohol many consume in their festive quest, but more so through the roles they portray in costume. As they act out their parts in a wild, gaudy pageant, they are escaping from routine existence, freed from the restraints that confine them every other day of the year.

text: [53]  The capitaine maintains control over the Mardi Gras.  He issues instructions to the riders as they assemble early in the morning and then leads them on their run.  When they arrive at a farm house, he obtains permission to enter private property, after which the riders may charge toward the house, where they sing, dance, and beg until the owner offers them an ingredient for a gumbo. Often, the owner will throw a live chicken into the air that the maskers will chase, like football players trying to recover a fumble. By mid to late afternoon, the courir returns to town and parades down the main street on the way to the location where the evening gumbo will be prepared.[53]

text: Other Louisiana cities[edit]

text: Other Louisiana cities holding Mardi Gras parades include Bogalusa, Bush, Chalmette, Columbia, Covington, Gretna, Kaplan, La Place, Madisonville, Mandeville, Metairie, Minden, Monroe, Natchitoches, Pearl River, Slidell, Springhill, and Thibodaux.

text: Because of violent activities of the American terrorist group, the Ku Klux Klan, Louisiana has a state law prohibiting the wearing of hoods and masks in public.  Mardi Gras is one of the occasions when exceptions are allowed, as are Halloween celebrations and religious observance.[54]

text: Michigan[edit]

text: Detroit[edit]

text: Michigan's first Catholic settlers were French.  The Fat Tuesday celebrations of modern times in Detroit stem from the more recent influence of the Polish Paczki Day.

text: Mississippi[edit]

text: Gulf Coast[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Biloxi, Mississippi holds a traditional morning parade by the Gulf Coast Carnival Association (GCCA) and an afternoon parade by the Krewe of Neptune.  Nearby Gulfport, holds a traditional night parade sponsored by the Krewe of Gemini.  Other parades include evening events in Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, D'Iberville, Gautier, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, and Pass Christian, just to name a few.  Damage from Hurricane Katrina led to deviations from traditional routes or parade cancellations in some locations in 2006.

text: Mardi Gras parades have since become a sign of rebuilding along the coast line. Traditions in Mississippi are closely tied into those of New Orleans, Louisiana.  Typically the larger floats which casinos use in the Mississippi parades are rented from float builders in New Orleans.  Schools on the Gulf Coast usually let out during the 2-day holiday so children can attend the parades. Much like Mobile and New Orleans, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has its own unique societies and Mardi Gras associations that participate in float building and annual balls.  Most of these parades and balls operate along the largest main roads of the coast, Highways 90 and 49.  Prior to Katrina, the Biloxi Parade consisted of a morning, noon and night parade. It has since decreased to two parades, GCCA first followed by the Krewe of Neptune.

text: Central Mississippi[edit]

text: Vicksburg, located along the Mississippi River in central Mississippi, holds an annual Mardi Gras parade,[55] along with a Mardi Gras ball.[56]

text: Missouri[edit]

text: St. Louis[edit]

text: Although founded by French settlers in 1764[57] the city has not had a significant French Catholic population since the late 19th Century. The St. Louis Mardi Gras was revived in the early 1980s by bored, drunk patrons of Hilary's bar in the Soulard neighborhood[58] adjacent to downtown, when they decided to march to another neighboring bar.[58] Over the years, what started as a private party has grown in size and scale, and has attracted major corporate sponsorship,[58][59] On the second Saturday before Mardi Gras, there is a family-oriented "Krewe of Barkus" pet parade with corporate sponsorship by Beggin' Strips.[59]  Participants consist of anyone who dresses up their pet in costume, and walks their pet along the parade route.  The parade is followed by the informal Wiener dog races. Then, on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday, the more adult-oriented, flesh-for-beads parade occurs, although there have been various attempts to reserve a family section at one end of the route.  People from all over storm the streets with beers and bead necklaces after the Saturday parade.  The streets of Soulard, Geyer, Allen, Russell, Ann, Shenandoah, and others are crowded with people from 7th to 12th Street.  The Fat Tuesday parade occurs in the evening.  In recent years it has been moved from just north of Soulard to downtown St. Louis. The majority of the overall Mardi Gras festivities have corporate sponsorship, primarily from Anheuser-Busch and Southern Comfort.[59] In 2006, this led to an investigation by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control into the legality of Mardi Gras Inc.'s sponsorship deals.[59]

text: Oklahoma[edit]

text: Tulsa[edit]

text: In 2010, Tulsa began holding an annual Mardi Gras parade through its downtown Blue Dome District.[60]

text: Oregon[edit]

text: Portland[edit]

text:
In 2010, a group of Louisiana expatriates and friends founded the Mysti Krewe of Nimbus Mysti Krewe of Nimbus to bring Mardi Gras and Louisiana culture to the Pacific Northwest and Portland in particular. Lacking in any formal Mardi Gras festivities, the Krewe held the first Portland Mardi Gras Ball Portland Oregon's Mardi Gras Ball the Saturday before Mardi Gras.
The Ball is now in its fourth year. Krewe activities have grown to include a Mardi Gras Day parade on Mississippi Avenue, a float entry in the annual Rose Festival Starlight Parade and second line parades at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival.

text: Pennsylvania[edit]

text: Philadelphia[edit]

text: There is an unofficial celebration of Mardi Gras on South Street every year. There is a noticeable police presence because of widespread drunkenness and looting that occurred among some of the younger participants in 2001. Local restaurants include New Orleans' themes, such as Fat Tuesday's, Les Bon Temps, and Nola's.

text: Texas[edit]

text: Galveston[edit]

text: Galveston, Texas is home to the largest Mardi Gras festival in Texas attracting up to 200,000 revelers to the island each year.  The celebration in Galveston dates back 1867 when it consisted of merely a masked ball and a theatre performance of Shakespeare's "King Henry IV." The emergence of rival Krewes the "Knights of Momus" and the "Knights of Myth" created the first extravagant Mardi Gras celebration in 1871.[61] The island tradition now includes many night parades, masked balls and exquisite costumes. The current Mardi Gras was revived in 1985 by George P. Mitchell; unlike its New Orleans counterparts, there are no celebrations held on the Monday prior to Fat Tuesday. Since 1987, the Galveston Park Board has managed the event despite its struggles and successes.[62][63][64]

text: Prior to Hurricane Ike, promoters from the Galveston Park Board usually charge admission fees on the first weekend during the Mardi Gras season kickoff related to events within the Strand Entertainment District (bounded by 25th Street, Harborside Drive, 20th Street, and Market Street/Avenue D). Parades on Seawall Boulevard are free to the general public. Around 2007, the Park Board slashed $800,000 in their budget due to budget deficits where they decided to drop the admission fee for the 2008 season along with live music performances.[65]

text: After Ike's devastation on Galveston Island, there was no admission charge in 2009 and 2010 - it was believed at the time that Mardi Gras! Galveston was becoming like its New Orleans counterpart with no admission revenues imposed.[66] An editorial by the Galveston County Daily News in 2007 suggested that Mardi Gras should be managed and operated like Dickens on the Strand as a manageable event under a nonprofit like the Galveston Historical Foundation similar to the Port Arthur, TX Mardi Gras (produced by Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, Inc).[67] Around April 2010, Galveston businessman Mike Dean, who runs Yaga's Entertainment, Inc. (the producer of the annual Galveston Food and Wine Festival and Chili Quest Festival), entered into a bidding process to become the new Mardi Gras promoter from 2011 – 2015 under a five-year contract, made official on November 18, 2010 as voted on by members of the Galveston City Council.[68] The admission fee has returned – which now includes both weekends prior to Fat Tuesday despite the hiring of 30 security officers to augment local law enforcement.  Statistics from the Galveston Convention and Visitor's Bureau have stated that with the admission fees for both weekends, crime has dropped 50% and Galveston Police Chief Charles Wiley (prior to his 2012 retirement) is backing the admission fee despite opposition from Downtown Galveston businesses on The Strand and Mechanic Street.[69][70][71][72]

text: Revelers and vendors who usually frequent Mardi Gras on Galveston Island have concerns that the admission fee will bring fewer attendees along with financial uncertainty when the Park Board sold admission tickets prior to the 2008 season.[73] The March 5, 2011 Knights of Momus Parade attracted 20,000 revelers within the Strand while the crowd estimate during the entire Mardi Gras season is 250,000. Vendors and Downtown Galveston businesses have reported a drop in their sales despite the promoter bringing more live music, parades, and added security which includes metal detectors and bag checks.[74][75] As a downside, Yaga's Entertainment Inc. incorporated the rules and regulations modeled on Mardi Gras DFW – including a prohibition on professional video and still camera equipment within the Strand Entertainment District because of the production of live entertainment from national touring or band acts.[76][77] Ticket sales for the first weekend of the 2012 season dropped to 30% during the first weekend despite the numerous complaints [78] vented at Yaga's Entertainment, Inc. - Dean stated that the admission charge will remain indefinitely until the existing 5-year contract with the City of Galveston is up for renewal. Admission pricing at the entry gates averaged $17 where discounted $8 tickets were available from the Yaga's Entertainment Inc. website (www.YagasPresents.com). Decreased ticket revenue was also attributed to the cold temperatures and high winds on the first weekend, and heavy precipitation on the second weekend - changes for the 2013 season would include contingency planning where events can be rescheduled by time shifts.[79][80]

text:
As of January 2013, the $17 admission fee is still imposed by Yaga's Entertainment - one Strand business, Crow's Southwest Cantina, has circulated a petition since Dean is allegedly profiteering but has stated that a free Mardi Gras is unsustainable. Houston TV station KTRK has stated that Mardi Gras! Galveston is becoming too expensive where local merchants are losing out just to pay to be on a public street. Galveston Convention Center and Visitor Bureau chair Leah Cast stated on FOX 26 Houston that charging the admission fees brings in a quality event inclusive of Grammy-nominated musicians and balcony parties.[81][82][83][84] A few Strand-area businesses claim that the admission fee keeps out the undesirable elements - during the February 9, 2013 festivities in the Strand Entertainment District, seven revelers who refused to leave the entertainment district were arrested by the Galveston Police Department during the street sweep where the police clear The Strand of all revelers. Angry revelers threw beer bottles, trash cans, and barricade fencing at the police where video footage were posted on YouTube. Over a year later during the March 1, 2014 Mardi Gras weekend, the same incident was repeated but Galveston Police officers fired tear gas at 19 partygoers who refused to comply with the police order to disperse.[85][86]
[87][88]

text: In January 2015, the City of Galveston issued a Request for Qualifications concerning the future promoter of the Strand Entertainment District where the same criteria proposed for the 2011-15 contract will remain the same (live entertainment from national touring acts limited to recording artists, bands, along with paid admission (on Fridays and Saturdays prior to Fat Tuesday with free admission on Sundays - this was amended during the latter part of the previous 2011-15 contract) and gated checkpoints/bag checks (which is stipulated under the new contract in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings) but the contract (which lasted five years without a contract extension) is limited to 3 years where the City of Galveston can reserve the right to extend the contract for an additional two years. Some Strand businessowners who voiced their displeasure with Yaga's Entertainment would rather have the Strand Entertainment District managed like the Lone Star Rally since they do not set up gated checkpoints - their touring acts (live music) are usually performed at 2 stages.

text: Port Arthur[edit]

text: Port Arthur began celebrating Mardi Gras in 1993.[89]

text: Dallas[edit]

text: Dallas, Texas is home to a Mardi Gras celebration, MystiQal.[90]

text: Wisconsin[edit]

text: La Crosse[edit]

text: La Crosse has held a Mardi Gras celebration since 1991. Originally the celebration and its fund-raising efforts were used to provide assistance for Catholic school tuition within the Coulee Catholic Schools system. Now, in addition to the Coulee Catholic Schools, the event provides funding to the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, the Boys & Girls Clubs, and the YMCA. The La Crosse Mardi Gras includes a formal costume ball and a family and community festival.[91]


document_title: Earth science

question_text: what are the main areas of earth science

text: Earth science

text: Fields of study[edit]

text: The following fields of science are generally categorized within the Earth sciences:

text:
Physical geography, covers aspects of geomorphology, soil study, hydrology, meteorology, climatology, and biogeography.[1]
Geology describes the rocky parts of the Earth's crust (or lithosphere) and its historic development. Major subdisciplines are mineralogy and petrology, geochemistry, geomorphology, paleontology, stratigraphy, structural geology, engineering geology, and sedimentology.[2][3]
Geophysics and geodesy investigate the shape of the Earth, its reaction to forces and its magnetic and gravity fields. Geophysicists explore the Earth's core and mantle as well as the tectonic and seismic activity of the lithosphere.[3][4][5] Geophysics is commonly used to supplement the work of geologists in developing a comprehensive understanding of crustal geology, particularly in mineral and petroleum exploration. See geophysical survey.
Soil science covers the outermost layer of the Earth's crust that is subject to soil formation processes (or pedosphere).[6] Major subdisciplines include edaphology and pedology.[7]
Ecology covers the interactions between the biota, with their natural environment. This field of study differentiates the study of the Earth, from the study of other planets in the Solar System; the Earth being the only planet teeming with life.
Hydrology (includes oceanography and limnology) is a study revolved around the movement, distribution, and quality of the water and involves all the components of the hydrologic cycle on the earth and its atmosphere (or hydrosphere). "Sub-disciplines of hydrology include hydrometeorology, surface water hydrology, hydrogeology, watershed science, forest hydrology, and water chemistry."[8]
Glaciology covers the icy parts of the Earth (or cryosphere).
Atmospheric sciences cover the gaseous parts of the Earth (or atmosphere) between the surface and the exosphere (about 1000 km). Major subdisciplines include meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry, and atmospheric physics.

tag: ul

text: Earth's interior[edit]

text: Plate tectonics, mountain ranges, volcanoes, and earthquakes are geological phenomena that can be explained in terms of physical and chemical processes in the Earth's crust.[10]

text: Beneath the Earth's crust lies the mantle which is heated by the radioactive decay of heavy elements. The mantle is not quite solid and consists of magma which is in a state of semi-perpetual convection. This convection process causes the lithospheric plates to move, albeit slowly. The resulting process is known as plate tectonics.[11][12][13][14]

text: Plate tectonics might be thought of as the process by which the Earth is resurfaced. As the result of seafloor spreading, new crust and lithosphere is created by the flow of magma from the mantle to the near surface, through fissures, where it cools and solidifies. Through subduction, oceanic crust and lithosphere returns to the convecting mantle.[12][14][15]

text: Areas of the crust where new crust is created are called divergent boundaries, those where it is brought back into the Earth are convergent boundaries and those where plates slide past each other, but no new lithospheric material is created or destroyed, are referred to as transform (or conservative) boundaries[12][14][16] Earthquakes result from the movement of the lithospheric plates, and they often occur near convergent boundaries where parts of the crust are forced into the Earth as part of subduction.[17]

text: Volcanoes result primarily from the melting of subducted crust material. Crust material that is forced into the asthenosphere melts, and some portion of the melted material becomes light enough to rise to the surface—giving birth to volcanoes.[12][17]

text: Earth's atmosphere[edit]

text: The troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere are the five layers which make up Earth's atmosphere. In all, the atmosphere is made up of about 78.0% nitrogen, 20.9% oxygen, and 0.92% argon. 75% of the gases in the atmosphere are located within the troposphere, the bottom-most layer. The remaining one percent of the atmosphere (all but the nitrogen, oxygen, and argon) contains small amounts of other gases including CO2 and water vapors.[18] Water vapors and CO2 allow the Earth's atmosphere to catch and hold the Sun's energy through a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect.[19] This allows Earth's surface to be warm enough to have liquid water and support life. In addition to storing heat, the atmosphere also protects living organisms by shielding some of the Earth's surface from cosmic rays—of which are often incorrectly thought to be deflected by the magnetic field. [20] The magnetic field—created by the internal motions of the core—produces the magnetosphere which protects the Earth's atmosphere from the solar wind.[21] As the Earth is 4.5 billion years old,[22] it would have lost its atmosphere by now if there were no protective magnetosphere.

text: Earth's magnetic field[edit]

text: An electromagnet is a magnet that is created by an electric current.[23] The Earth has a solid iron inner core surrounded by fluid outer core that convects;[24] therefore, the Earth is an electromagnet. The motion of fluid convection sustains the Earth's magnetic field.[24][25]

text: Methodology[edit]

text: Methodologies vary depending on the nature of the subjects being studied. Studies typically fall into one of three categories: observational, experimental, or theoretical. Earth scientists often conduct sophisticated computer analysis or go to many of the world's most exotic locations to study Earth phenomena (e.g. Antarctica or hot spot island chains).

text: A foundational idea within the study Earth science is the notion of uniformitarianism. Uniformitarianism dictates that "ancient geologic features are interpreted by understanding active processes that are readily observed."[citation needed] In other words, any geologic processes at work in the present have operated in the same ways throughout geologic time. This enables those who study Earth's history to apply knowledge of how Earth processes operate in the present to gain insight into how the planet has evolved and changed throughout deep history.

text: Earth's spheres[edit]

text: Earth science generally recognizes four spheres, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere;[26] these correspond to rocks, water, air and life. Also included by some are the cryosphere (corresponding to ice) as a distinct portion of the hydrosphere and the pedosphere (corresponding to soil) as an active and intermixed sphere.

text: Partial list of the major Earth science topics[edit]

text: Atmosphere[edit]

text:
Atmospheric chemistry
Geography

Climatology
Meteorology

Hydrometeorology
Paleoclimatology

text: Biosphere[edit]

text:
Biogeochemistry
Biogeography
Ecology

Landscape ecology

Geoarchaeology
Geomicrobiology
Paleontology

Palynology
Micropaleontology

text: Hydrosphere[edit]

text:
Hydrology

Hydrogeology

Limnology (freshwater science)
Oceanography (marine science)

Chemical oceanography
Physical oceanography
Biological oceanography (marine biology)
Geological oceanography (marine geology)

Paleoceanography

text: Lithosphere (geosphere)[edit]

text:
Geology

Economic geology
Engineering geology
Environmental geology
Historical geology

Quaternary geology

Planetary geology and planetary geography
Sedimentology
Stratigraphy
Structural geology

Geography

Physical geography

Geochemistry
Geomorphology
Geophysics

Geochronology
Geodynamics (see also Tectonics)
Geomagnetism
Gravimetry (also part of Geodesy)
Seismology

Glaciology
Hydrogeology
Mineralogy

Crystallography
Gemology

Petrology
Speleology
Volcanology

text: Pedosphere[edit]

text:
Geography

Soil science

Edaphology
Pedology

text: Systems[edit]

text:
Earth system science
Environmental science
Geography

Human geography
Physical geography

Gaia hypothesis
Systems ecology
Systems geology

text: Others[edit]

text:
Geography

Cartography
Geoinformatics (GIS)
Geostatistics
Geodesy and Surveying
NASA Earth Science Enterprise
Remote Sensing


document_title: List of national anthem performers at the Super Bowl

question_text: who singing national anthem at super bowl 2015

text: Performances[edit]

text:
No.
Year
Venue
Performer(s)[1]

I
1967
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, California
The Pride of Arizona, Michigan Marching Band, and UCLA choir

II
1968
Orange Bowl, Miami
GSU Tiger Marching Band

III
1969
Lloyd Geisler of the Washington National Symphony Orchestra[2]
An NFL.com reference ([1]) states that Anita Bryant performed the anthem, but NBC's broadcast of game, available from the Paley Center for Media's collection, shows that Geisler performed it.

IV
1970
Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
Al Hirt

V
1971
Orange Bowl, Miami
Tommy Loy (trumpet)

VI
1972
Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
U.S. Air Force Academy Chorale

VII
1973
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Little Angels (children's choir) of Chicago's Holy Angels Church

VIII
1974
Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas
Charley Pride

IX
1975
Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
GSU Tiger Marching Band (2)

X
1976
Orange Bowl, Miami
Tom Sullivan

XI
1977
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
None (Vikki Carr sang "America the Beautiful")

XII
1978
Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans
Phyllis Kelly of Northeast Louisiana University

XIII
1979
Orange Bowl, Miami
The Colgate Thirteen

XIV
1980
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Cheryl Ladd

XV
1981
Superdome, New Orleans
Helen O'Connell

XVI
1982
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Diana Ross

XVII
1983
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Leslie Easterbrook

XVIII
1984
Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Barry Manilow

XIX
1985
Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California
San Francisco Boys Chorus, San Francisco Girls Chorus, Piedmont Children's Chorus, and San Francisco Children's Chorus

XX
1986
Superdome, New Orleans
Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)

XXI
1987
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Neil Diamond

XXII
1988
Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego
Herb Alpert (trumpet)

XXIII
1989
Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami
Billy Joel

XXIV
1990
Superdome, New Orleans
Aaron Neville

XXV
1991
Tampa Stadium, Tampa
Whitney Houston with The Florida Orchestra directed by Jahja Ling

XXVI
1992
Metrodome, Minneapolis
Harry Connick, Jr.
ASL (American Sign Language): Lori Hilary

XXVII
1993
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Garth Brooks
ASL: Marlee Matlin

XXVIII
1994
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Natalie Cole
ASL: Courtney Keel Foley

XXIX
1995
Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami
Kathie Lee Gifford
ASL: Heather Whitestone

XXX
1996
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Vanessa L. Williams
ASL: Mary Kim Titla

XXXI
1997
Superdome, New Orleans
Luther Vandross
ASL: Erika Rachael Schwarz

XXXII
1998
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Jewel
ASL: Phyllis Frelich

XXXIII
1999
Pro Player Stadium, Miami
Cher
ASL: Speaking Hands

XXXIV
2000
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Faith Hill
ASL: Briarlake Elementary School Signing Choir

XXXV
2001
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Backstreet Boys
AASL: Tom Cooney

XXXVI
2002
Superdome, New Orleans
Mariah Carey
ASL: Joe Narcisse

XXXVII
2003
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Dixie Chicks
ASL: Janet Maxwell

XXXVIII
2004
Reliant Stadium, Houston
Beyoncé
ASL: Suzanna Christy

XXXIX
2005
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy (2), and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
ASL: Wesley Tallent

XL
2006
Ford Field, Detroit
Aaron Neville (2) and Aretha Franklin,
Dr. John (piano accompaniment)
ASL: Angela LaGuardia

XLI
2007
Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Billy Joel (2)
ASL: Marlee Matlin (2)

XLII
2008
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Jordin Sparks
ASL: A Dreamer[3]

XLIII
2009
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Jennifer Hudson
ASL: Kristen Santos

XLIV
2010
Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens
Carrie Underwood
ASL: Kinesha Battles

XLV
2011
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Christina Aguilera
ASL: Candice Villesca[4]

XLVI
2012
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Kelly Clarkson
ASL: Rachel Mazique[5]

XLVII
2013
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
Alicia Keys[6]
ASL: John Maucere[7]

XLVIII
2014
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Renée Fleming
ASL: Amber Zion

XLIX
2015
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona[8]
Idina Menzel
ASL: Treshelle Edmond[9]

50
2016
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Lady Gaga
ASL: Marlee Matlin (3)[10]

LI
2017
NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Luke Bryan
ASL: Kriston Lee Pumphery[11].

LII
2018
U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Pink
ASL: Alexandria Wailes[12].

text: Multiple and hometown performances[edit]

text: Acts that have performed three times:

text: Marlee Matlin (ASL), (XXVII, XLI, and 50)

text: Acts that have performed two times:

text:
GSU Tiger Marching Band (II and IX)
Billy Joel (XXIII and XLI)
Aaron Neville (XXIV and XL)
U.S. Air Force Academy Chorale[13] (VI and XXXIX)

text: Singers that performed in or near their hometown metropolitan area:

text:
Beyoncé (XXXVIII, Houston)
Aretha Franklin (XL, Detroit)
Al Hirt (IV, New Orleans)
Aaron Neville (XXIV & XL, New Orleans)
Diana Ross (XVI, Detroit)
Jordin Sparks (XLII, Phoenix)

text: Notable performances[edit]

text: The performance by Whitney Houston at Super Bowl XXV in 1991, during the Gulf War, had been for many years regarded as one of the best renditions ever.[14][15][16][17][18][19] It was released as a single a few weeks later, appeared on the album Whitney: The Greatest Hits, and was re-released as a single in 2001 shortly after the September 11 attacks.

text: The 1992 performance marked the first time American Sign Language was used alongside the lead singer.

text: Faith Hill performed the anthem at Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.[20] It became popular in country radio. Following the September 11 attacks, her version entered the country singles chart at number 35, despite not being released as an official single, and reentered the same chart at number 49 in July 2002.[citation needed]

text: At Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, in an emotional and groundbreaking performance, soprano Renée Fleming became the first opera singer to perform the national anthem,[21] scoring the highest ratings for a Fox Network program in its history, and the second-highest ratings for any television program in history.

text: Controversies[edit]

text: Just days after Super Bowl XXV, a report surfaced that Whitney Houston lip synced her performance. It was confirmed that she was actually singing into a dead microphone, but the performance heard in the stadium and on television was prerecorded.[22][14][15]

text: Since 1993, the NFL has required performers to supply a backup track.[14] This came after Garth Brooks walked out of the stadium prior to his XXVII performance. Only 45 minutes before kickoff, he refused to take the stage, due to a dispute with NBC. Brooks requested that the network premiere his new music video "We Shall Be Free" during the pregame. The network chose not to air the video, due to content some felt was disturbing imagery. Brooks had also refused to pre-record the anthem, which meant the league had nothing to play if he left. Television producers spotted Jon Bon Jovi in the grandstands, and were prepared to use him as a replacement. After last-minute negotiations, NBC agreed to air a clip of the video during the broadcast of the game,[23] and Brooks was coaxed back into the stadium and sang.[19]

text: Following the "wardrobe malfunction" controversy during Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, all scheduled performers for Super Bowl XXXIX were chosen under heavy scrutiny.[24] Game organizers decided not to use a popular music vocalist.[25] The combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets were invited to perform. This was the first time since the second inauguration of President Richard Nixon in 1973 that all four service academies sang together.[13][26]

text: Two days after Super Bowl XLIII, it was revealed that Jennifer Hudson also had lip synced.[14]

text: At the beginning of Super Bowl XLV, Christina Aguilera sang the lyrics incorrectly. Instead of singing "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming", the pop star sang "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming".[27][28] According to the New York Times, she also changed "gleaming" to "reaming".[29]

text: Other patriotic performances[edit]

text: The following Super Bowls featured other patriotic performances besides the national anthem. Since 2009, "America the Beautiful" is sung before the national anthem.[30]

text:
1969: Apollo 8 crew
1970: Apollo astronauts
1973: Apollo 17 crew

text:
1977: Vikki Carr (in place of the national anthem)
2001: Ray Charles
2002: Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony and the Boston Pops Orchestra
2005: Alicia Keys and a tribute video to the recently deceased Ray Charles
2009: Faith Hill
2010: Queen Latifah
2011: Lea Michele
2012: Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert
2013: Jennifer Hudson with the Sandy Hook Elementary School Chorus[31][32]
2014: Queen Latifah with the New Jersey Youth Chorus
2015: John Legend [9]
2016: U.S. Armed Forces Chorus [33]
2017: Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones.[34]
2018: Leslie Odom Jr..[35].

text: 2003: Céline Dion


document_title: Columbarium

question_text: where do you put ashes in a cemetery

question_tokens: where do you put ashes in a cemetery

text: Columbarium

text: Background[edit]

text: Roman columbaria were often built partly or completely underground.[1] The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is an ancient Roman example, rich in frescoes, decorations and precious mosaics.[2]

text: Today's columbaria can be either free standing units, or part of a mausoleum or another building. Some manufacturers produce columbaria that are built entirely off-site and brought to the cemetery by a large truck. Many modern crematoria have columbaria. Examples of these are the columbaria in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and Golders Green Crematorium in London.

text: In other cases, columbaria are built into church structures. One example is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles, California), which houses a number of columbarium niches in the mausoleum built into the lower levels of the Cathedral. The construction of columbaria within churches is particularly widespread in the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. An example can be seen at the Church of St Nicolas in Old Town Square (Prague). In the Roman Catholic Church, although traditional burial is still preferred, cremation is permitted provided that the cremated remains are buried or entombed. As a result, columbaria can be found within some Catholic cemeteries.

text: Columbaria are often closely similar in form to traditional Buddhist temples, which from ancient times have housed cremated ashes. In Buddhism, ashes of the deceased may be placed in a columbarium (in Chinese, a naguta ("bone-receiving pagoda"); in Japanese, a nokotsudo ("bone-receiving hall"), which can be either attached to or a part of a Buddhist temple or cemetery. This practice allows for the family of the deceased to visit the temple for the conduct of traditional memorials and ancestor rites.

text: Gallery[edit]

text:
Columbarium wall, with flowers, plaques, and empty niches.

Detail of the columbarium at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

A modern columbarium in a small German town

Interior of columbarium at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California. Some of the cinerary urns are book-shaped.

Columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Each niche is covered with a marble plaque.

Etruscan columbarium at Cava Buia, Blera, Italy.

A traditional Japanese columbarium at the Takidani Fudōmyō-ō Temple, Osaka, Japan.

A modern Chinese-style columbarium at Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong, Australia.

text: Columbarium caves in Israel[edit]

text: In the Bet Guvrin area several series of large caves dug into soft rock were found. There were several theories about their original use, for ritual burial, for growing pigeons to be used for ritual sacrifice, or for raising pigeons for fertilizer production. One such cave had been covered by an earthquake close to the time of its original usage and had no signs of secondary usage; neither ashes nor pigeon droppings were found in it.[3][4]

text: Among the archaeologic finds on Masada, a columbarium tower foundation remains.


document_title: The Real Thing (UK band)

question_text: what happened to ray lake of the real thing

text: The Real Thing (UK band)

text: History[edit]

text: Founded in 1970 by Chris Amoo, Dave Smith, Kenny Davis and Ray Lake, The Real Thing's live, progressive soul-influenced covers of American hits attracted enough attention for them to secure a recording deal with EMI.[5] The singles they released through EMI in 1972 and 1973 such as "Vicious Circle" were, despite their high quality, not successful sellers (and have not so far been included on any of the band's compilation albums).  But the band persisted, even after the departure of Kenny Davis. They did appear on Opportunity Knocks (the TV talent show). The turn-around for their career began with their collaboration with David Essex and Pye Records. They toured internationally with Essex, recording with him a number of popular songs, though none were big charters. After Chris Amoo's brother Eddie joined the band, The Real Thing finally found chart success with the pop soul single "You to Me Are Everything", which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 28 on Billboard's "R&B Singles" and No. 64 on Billboard's "Hot 100".[5][6] Their follow-up, "Can't Get By Without You", did not chart in the US but was still a success in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 2.

text: In 1976, they released their first album, Real Thing,[7] which included both of their hit singles as well as a third UK hit, "You'll Never Know What You're Missing",[8] which peaked at No. 16.[9] They continued recording prolifically, releasing a steady stream of subsequent albums: 1977's Four from Eight[10] (originally to have been called Liverpool 8 in honour of the racially mixed, economically depressed neighbourhood in which they grew up, before Pye rejected the title), 1978's Step Into Our World, (reissued in 1979 as Can You Feel the Force)[11]  and 1982's compilation 100 Minutes.[5] During the time period, they accumulated eight more British hits. "Love's Such a Wonderful Thing" peaked at #33 in 1977.[9] 1978 saw "Whenever You Want My Love" at #18, "Let's Go Disco" at #39 and "Rainin' Through My Sunshine" at #40. "Can You Feel the Force?" climbed to #5 in 1979, the same year that "Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)" hit #33. 1980's "She's a Groovy Freak" capped a successful run, at #52, coming just a few months too late to be included in the band's first compilation, a K-tel collection of their Greatest Hits released in May 1980.[9][12] In 1982 they returned to working with David Essex, performing as backing vocalists on his tour and they also performed as backing vocalists on Essex's 1982 top 20 hit 'Me And my Girl (Nightclubbing)' appearing with him on Top of the Pops. They scored a dance floor hit with a single specially written for them by Lynsey De Paul and Terry Britten, called "We Got Love" in 1984.[13]

text: In 1986, the band enjoyed a chart resurgence with the remixing of several of their hits. "You to Me Are Everything (the Decade Remix)" charted twice in the UK, peaking at No. 5 during a 12-week run in spring and returning in June for an additional week at No. 72.[9] "Can't Get By Without You (the Second Decade Remix)" rose almost as high to No. 6, remaining a consecutive 13 weeks. "Can You Feel the Force" ('86 Remix) climbed to No. 24, but the band's final UK charter for the year, "Straight to the Heart", peaked at No. 71, remaining for only two weeks.

text: Group personnel[edit]

text:
Chris Amoo (born Christopher Charles Amoo, 14 October 1952, Liverpool) – vocals
Dave Smith (born David Smith, 6 July 1952) – vocals

text:
John Chapman – Saxophone
Sam Edwards – Keyboards
Stuart Ansell – Guitar
Jon Bower – Bass
Danny Rose – Drums

text:
Eddie Amoo (born Edward Robert Amoo, 5 May 1944, Liverpool[14]; died 23 February 2018, Australia[15]) – vocals, guitars
Ray Lake (born Raymond Lake, 11 February 1946, Liverpool; died 2000)[16] – falsetto backing vocals
Kenny Davis – vocals

text: Discography[edit]

text:
The Real Thing discographyStudio albums
4Live albums
1Compilation albums
3Singles
24

text: Albums[edit]

text:
Year

Title

Chart Positions

UK

1976

Real Thing

34

1977

4 from 8

1978

Step into Our World retitled as Can You Feel the Force (1979)

73

1980

....Saints Or Sinners?

text:
Year

Title

Chart Positions

UK

1998

The Real Thing Live

text:
Year

Title

Chart Positions

UK

1980

20 Greatest Hits

56

1982

100 Minutes

1986

The Best of The Real Thing

24

text: Singles[edit]

text:
Year

Title

Album

Chart Positions

UK[9]

IRL

NZ

1972

"Vicious Circle"

–

–

–

–

1973

"Plastic Man"

—

–

–

–

"Listen, Joe Mcgintoo"

–

–

–

"Humpty Dumpty"

–

–

–

1974

"Daddy Dear"

–

–

–

1975

"Watch Out Carolina"

–

–

–

"Stone Cold Love Affair"

–

–

–

1976

"You to Me Are Everything"

Real Thing

1

3

10

"Can't Get By Without You"

2

–

–

1977

"You'll Never Know What You're Missing"

16

–

–

"Love's Such a Wonderful Thing"

4 From 8

33

–

–

"Lightning Strikes Again"

–

–

–

1978

"Whenever You Want My Love"

Step into Our World / Can You Feel the Force

18

–

–

"Let's Go Disco"

—

39

–

–

"Rainin' Through My Sunshine"

Step into Our World / Can You Feel the Force

40

–

–

1979

"Can You Feel the Force?"

5

23

24

"Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)"

....Saints Or Sinners?

33

–

46

1980

"Give Me Your Love"

–

–

–

"Saint or Sinner?"

–

–

–

"She's a Groovy Freak"

—

52

–

–

1981

"I Believe in You"

–

–

–

"Foot Tappin'"

–

–

–

1982

"Love Takes Tears"

–

–

–

"Seen to Smile"

–

–

–

1984

"We Got Love"

–

–

–

"Street Scene"

–

–

–

1986

"You to Me Are Everything (The Decade Remix 76–86)"

5

6

2

"Can't Get by Without You" (The Decade Remix II)

6

8

–

"Can You Feel the Force?" ('86 Remix)

24

17

–

"Straight to the Heart"

71

–

–

1987

"Hard Times"

90

–

–

"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"

–

–

–

–

1989

"The Crime of Love"

–

–

–

–

2005

"So Much Love to Give" (with Freeloaders)

Freshly Squeezed (Freeloaders album)

9

30

–