Gheens, Louisiana

Gheens (also Golden Ranch, Vacherie) is an unincorporated community in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1] Its ZIP code is 70355.[2]

Gheens, Louisiana
Unincorporated community
Gheens is located in Louisiana
Gheens
Gheens
Gheens is located in the United States
Gheens
Gheens
Coordinates: 29°40′46″N 90°27′45″W
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishLafourche
Elevation
3 ft (0.9 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
70355
Area code985
GNIS feature ID554527[1]

Education

Lafourche Parish Public Schools operates public schools.

The area primary schools would be Lockport Lower and Lockport Upper Elementary Schools in Lockport, and the area junior high school is Lockport Middle School in Lockport. The area high school is Central Lafourche High School.[3]

Lafourche Parish Library operates the Gheens Library.[4]

Mardi Gras

Gheens is one of the only two southeastern Louisiana communities that still practice the traditional Mardi Gras chase, a tradition that has taken place in Gheens dating back to the turn of the 20th century.[5] In this event following the community's annual Mardi Gras parade, masked men or "Mardi Gras" descend from trailers to chase and whip the town's children with willow branches, symbolizing atonement from sin.[5] In order to avoid being whipped, children must kneel and say "pardon," meaning "pardon me" in Cajun French; however, many children choose to run from the Mardi Gras, at risk of being whipped.[5] Mardi Gras flogging is primarily symbolic, and Mardi Gras generally deliver, at most, a light tap on the back of the victim's legs.[5]

Notes
  1. "Gheens, Louisiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  3. "SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine." Lafourche Parish Public Schools. Retrieved on December 2, 2016. Based on the text description of the school boundaries
  4. "Branch Locations and Contact." Lafourche Parish Library. Retrieved on November 28, 2018.
  5. "A Study of Tradition and Change in the Gheens Mardi Gras". www.louisianafolklife.org. Retrieved December 20, 2022.


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