Description

As the oldest continuous night parading krewe (and the first to use neon lighting on a float in 1938), the Knights of Hermes put on a procession rich in Mardi Gras tradition. Membership in the Krewe of Hermes is kept strictly secret – the name of the krewe's king is never printed for the public – and the krewe holds to several unique traditions. Members take to the streets of the French Quarter (after lunching together in restaurants around the Quarter) for a walking parade before the krewe's street parade begins. At the head of the official parade, the Hermes captain leads in full regalia riding a white horse. The founders of the krewe chose Hermes, the Greek messenger of the gods, as their namesake, and a golden statue of the sandaled, winged courier appears at the head of the procession.

Hermes history: During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Carnival schedule had shrunk to only three parades staged on Mardi Gras Eve and on Fat Tuesday. In true New Orleans fashion, a group of local businessmen decided it was time to shake the doldrums and offer visitors more days to enjoy the pleasures of the season; they formed the Knights of Hermes. The new parade served as a bridge from the weekend before Mardi Gras to the arrival of Rex.

Map

Knights of Hermes Parade Route.