!["Big" fan participate in the Saints parade](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/hash/b8/8e/b88eec1f1de1b9b9109c86189f667c1b.jpg ""Big" fan participate in the Saints parade")
In possibly the most enthusiastic form of fan adoration, thousands of men commemorated sportscaster Buddy Diliberto who promised to wear a dress if the New Orleans (LA) Saints ever made it to the Super Bowl.
Prior to my trip to New Orleans last weekend for the New Orleans Jam , a salsa dancing weekend put on by MamboOrleans, many friends said that it would be a great time due to the Saints going to the Super Bowl. Well, that proved to be true when on Sunday, January 31st, I encountered a huge crowd of men wearing dresses on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
Local New Orleans native and Katrina survivor, Cynthia Fransen gave me the lowdown on the history of the Saints parade and why New Orleanians love parades.
CM: What did you think of the parade?
CF: The parade in honor of the beloved late local sportscaster, Buddy Diliberto, (celebrating his famous promise to wear a dress and walk down Bourbon Street if the Saints ever went to the Super Bowl) was a perfect example of the spirit of New Orleans. The parade epitomized the ability of New Orleanians to inject humor and festivity-- along with a nod to history-- into events that in many other cities would be noticed, but not celebrated in such a joyous, creative, and uninhibited way.
No local resident was the least bit surprised at the number of men who turned out, at their costumes, or at their complete involvement in the joy of the moment. Buddy D and the Saints have been woven throughout the fabric of New Orleans for nearly half a century; the Saints and the sportscaster who followed the team religiously are part of our modern history and New Orleans never forgets its history.
CM: Was it a once in a lifetime event, or does it show the true spirit of New Orleans residents?
CF: New Orleans celebrates life with parades of all kinds throughout the year. Parades are our way of expressing ourselves through music, costumes, and shared spirit. Our parades take many forms:
Carnival parades are the colorful prelude to the somber season of Lent (According to some etymological sources, the word Carnival may come from the Latin carne vale, farewell to meat, a reference to the fasting that Catholics do during the Lenten season that begins the day after Mardi Gras.) During the Carnival season, which culminates on Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday), we literally eat, drink, and make merry, because tomorrow (Ash Wednesday), we fast.
The city’s strong Italian population celebrates St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) with a festive parade that honors the saint who is special to New Orleans Sicilians.
The Irish celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with several parades: one in the Irish Channel in Uptown New Orleans, one in the French Quarter, and one in Metairie.
Finally, of course, we parade when we have Jazz Funerals that lead mourners on the final trip of a loved one to the cemetery.
The Buddy D parade was no different in that the parade celebrated an important and momentous event unique to our city. I am sure that on Mardi Gras day we will see a lot of Buddy Ds in dresses and a lot of Saints-themed costumes, courtesy of the Buddy D parade.
CM: I also saw men dressed in pig outfits with wings depicting "when pigs fly". What is the tradition around that? Or is that just a joke around the Saints going to the Super Bowl for the first time?
CF: The “when pigs fly” costumes were simply references to the seemingly impossible feat that happened when the Saints achieved a berth in Super Bowl 2010. (Interestingly, for the past few years a local bank has run a marketing campaign that includes images of pigs flying in its print and television ads. The bank was probably thrilled to see the winged pig costumes in the parade.)
CM:Do you know if there were any fans from out of town that came out to participate in the parade?
CF: I am sure that Saints fans from cities such as Mandeville, Madisonville, Covington, Slidell, etc. on the North Shore (across Lake Pontchartrain) took part in the parade. Ditto for fans who live on the West Bank (across the Mississippi River) in cities such as Gretna, Algiers, etc. In addition, some Baton Rouge Saints fans, especially those who relocated from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, were likely in the parade.
CM: My examiner page is centered around dance styles, happenings, events, clubs, etc. If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them.
CF: As far as happenings go, we have no shortage of them. One ongoing celebration you might want to learn more about is Si, Cuba, a city wide project that showcases more than 50 works by Cuban artists who work in various media: photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed-media, film, ceramics, etc. Si Cuba runs through April, 2010 . I have not yet seen any of the exhibits, but I am sure the art is vital and provocative. Check it out at www.SICUBANEWORLEANS.COM
Learn more at New Orleans Podcast!
Josh Klick contributed to this article.
Comments
Congrats to the Saints and all of the "Who 'Dat" fanatics!
What's the dress attire for the Superbowl parade?
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