krewe

American  

[kroo] / kru /

noun

1. (especially in New Orleans) a private social club that sponsors balls, parades, etc., as part of the Mardi Gras festivities.

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Etymology

Origin of krewe

Archaizing or fanciful spelling of crew ¹; generalized from the Mistick Krewe of Comus, the first such club, founded in New Orleans in 1857

Explanation

A group that organizes Mardi Gras celebrations is known as a krewe. Most of the people tossing colorful beads into the crowd at a Mardi Gras parade are members of a krewe. Historians believe that the original Carnival krewe, the Mistick Krewe of Comus, invented the term in 1856 to describe their group in a way that was deliberately old-fashioned. Most cities and towns with French Catholic heritage that celebrate Mardi Gras have their own network of krewes, though New Orleans has the largest and oldest krewe system. Members of these clubs pay dues to pay for costumes and parade floats, and they inaugurate annual kings and queens.

Example Sentences

A previous version of this article called Rex the city's oldest krewe.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

Muses founder Staci Rosenberg said the krewe had planned to gather at a bar a couple of blocks off the streetcar route to await the passing of the Phunny Phorty Phellows' procession.

From Fox News • Jan. 6, 2022

Muses founder Staci Rosenberg said the krewe had planned to gather at a bar a couple of blocks off the streetcar route to await the passing of the Phunny Phorty Phellows’ procession.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2022

The Mardi Gras season officially began this year, as it does every year, 12 nights after Christmas, when a 150-year-old carnival krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers, held an elegant society ball.

From New York Times • Apr. 13, 2020

Founded in 1968, the krewe is famous for huge floats with national celebrities serving as “monarchs” of the parade.

From Washington Times • Mar. 16, 2015