The Cajun Courir de Mardi Gras is traditionally held in Louisiana.
This rural Mardi Gras tradition is especially associated with Acadiana, the French-influenced region of southern Louisiana. Communities such as Mamou, Basile, Church Point, Iota and Eunice preserve different local versions of the event, often featuring masked riders, musicians and a communal gumbo.
The courir takes place on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Participants traditionally travel from house to house, asking for food or ingredients and performing songs, dances and comic antics. In some communities, a live chicken is tossed into the air for participants to chase.
The tradition is distinct from the large urban parades of New Orleans. Its roots are commonly linked to medieval European begging customs carried to North America by French and Acadian settlers. The Cajun communities of Louisiana kept these customs alive and adapted them into a uniquely regional celebration.