Charlie Silva is King Gambrinus XXIII and The Queen, Her Royal Highness is Karen Hansen of the Krewe 2012 hold their babies from the King’s Cake
Magic fills the air as Mardi Gras traditions begin to stir up excitement in this celebrated little town. People from all over celebrate Mardi Gras in many ways, forms and for many reasons. How many of us really know the true meaning behind Mardi Gras celebrations? Before doing any research, I simply liked the idea of an abundance of shiny beads launching from extravagant parade floats holding fanciful Krewe royalty that danced the night away because it was Mardi Gras.
The Krewe of Gambrinus was kind enough to take me on this delightful journey that toured the history and traditions of their group. Affectionately known as the “Krewe of Brew”, the Galveston Krewe of Gambrinus, Inc is a not for profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of tourism in Galveston. Starting with the Patron Saint of Brewing in 1989, The Krewe of Gambrinus is now one of Galveston’s super parades. Parading for the first time in 1990 as the anchor parade of the first weekend of Mardi Gras in Galveston , they celebrated the “History of Beer”, and for 23 years now have literally had a “Ball” of a time. Their ideas are focused around ‘Mardy Gaudy! Bling! Dressing to the Nines, or living out a fantasy in costume!’ The Krewe launches 14 enormous floats with just as many marching bands at their sides, while tossing over 600,000 beads and trinkets to nearly 300,000 screaming spectators. Even fireworks are arranged along the parade route to top it all of with a bang!
King Gambrinus, known as “the Patron Saint of Beer”, has long been a universal symbol of beer and brewing. Particularly during the late nineteenth century, the image of Gambrinus was used by countless brewers to promote their products and remind consumers of the rich heritage of beer-making. Many breweries were even adorned with life-sized statues of the King.
George Ehret, the great New York City brewer who published a book entitled Twenty-Five Years of Brewing, briefly relates the common wisdom as to the origins of King Gambrinus. Ehret said, “Popular imagination, it seems, attached such great importance to beer, that in according the honor of its invention, it could not be satisfied with anything less than a king.”
Boasting with some of the original charter members, The Krewe numbers over 300 members and celebrates the festival religiously each year. They conduct several gala parties such as, the Den Party to view the redecorated floats, a King’s Day to select the new King and Queen, the fabulous Coronation Ball, the Brew Ha Ha, and finally a spectacular parade and fireworks show with parties surrounding the main procession.
Each year a Court of five Dukes and five Duchesses, appointed by the Board of Directors based upon their contributions of time and talents to the Krewe, search to find the traditional “Baby” in the King’s Cake. The lucky Duke is named King Gambrinus, and the lucky Duchess is Her Royal Highness, the Queen, both serving for a full year until they crown their successors at the next Coronation Ball.
Make sure to check out the Royalty Pre-Parade Party at Fish Tales Restaurant on Friday, February 10, starting at 7pm. The Krewe of Gambrinus Royal Court hosts its members and guests in the upper level restaurant with fabulous food stations, live music, and a cash bar. This is a ‘must attend’ for the parade revelers coming to the Island for the King Gambrinus Lights of the Night Parade. As the Krewe of Gambrinus says….Come for the fun and stay for the memory
You could say spirits are high this time of year…among the living and the dead! After all, many have lived and died by Galveston waters…but each year people across America celebrate a day filled with excitement, goodies, and memorable times. For many, this special day called Halloween reveals nostalgic feelings of trick-or-treating in our favorite character costumes on dim magical evenings, innocently collecting free candies and anticipating the next spook that will send you and your friends into furies of laughter. As time passes, our priorities shift and many adults seek island adventure through creative costume parties and local events. Halloween is our chance to express the inner pioneering wild-child through creative garb and flair! Now, by no means am I justifying the “lingerie costume” trend popular among the 15-25 age rage… (Young ladies – it may haunt you forever! No pun intended…)
Some have dubbed Galveston Island the second most haunted city in America following New Orleans. The island is recognized as home to cannibalistic Karankawa Indians and merciless pirates, such as the famous Jean Laffite and his lair of thieves! Galvestonians in the 19th century enlighten us with tales of merciless fires, epidemics of yellow fever and malaria, military conflicts, bitter war, and legendary storms. From its fabled harbor to its majestic Victorian mansions, historic Galveston Island overflows with tantalizing testimonies and ghostly encounters yearning to be told. We live in a nautical graveyard where the fog gets so dense- it is truly biblical. Everything tells a story: old statues appear to be crying tears of rust, the creep of moisture bows shelves into crooked smiles, and many buildings are dulled by the light of ten thousand afternoons. Surroundings like these make for the perfect haunted holiday!
The Healing Power of Reiki
Many holistic practitioners believe that the mind, body and spirit are connected as one. Thus being, if the mind and/or spirit are not at ease, then the body will manifest disease (dis-ease) to maintain balance. It is suggested that Reiki restores peace to the mind and spirit creating the positive energy space for the body to heal itself naturally.
