ˈiːtʃ mˈɑːɹdi ɡɹˈɑːz, ðə lˈeɪdiz, nˈoʊn vˈɛɹiəsli æz "ðə mˈɛɹi wˈɪdoʊz ʌv dʒˈoʊ kˈeɪn", "dʒˈoʊ kˈeɪnz wˈɪdoʊz", ɔːɹ ˈiːvən dʒˈʌst æz "ðə wˈɪdoʊz" ɡˈæðɚɹ ˌɔn dʒˈoʊ kˈeɪn dˈeɪ ðə sˈʌndeɪ bᵻfˌoːɹ fˈæt tˈuːzdeɪ, klˈoʊðd ɪn blˈæk mˈoːɹnɪŋ klˈoʊðz wɪð vˈeɪlz, tə lˈeɪ ɐ ɹˈiːθ æt kˈeɪnz bˈɛɹɪəl sˈaɪt æt tʃˈɜːtʃ stɹˈiːt ɡɹˈeɪvjɑːɹd, wˈeɪl ˈoʊvɚ ðɛɹ "dᵻpˈɑːɹɾᵻd hˈʌsbəndz" ɡɹˈeɪv, ðˈɛn tɹˈævəl tə dʒˈoʊ kˈeɪnz fˈɔːɹmɚ hˈaʊs ˌɔn ɔːɡˈʌstə stɹˈiːt tʊ ˈɔfɚɹ ɐ tˈoʊst ænd jˈuːlədʒi tə ðɛɹ "bᵻlˈʌvd dʒˈoʊ".
Each Mardi Gras, The ladies, known variously as "The Merry Widows of Joe Cain", "Joe Cain's Widows", or even just as "The Widows" gather on Joe Cain Day (the Sunday before Fat Tuesday), clothed in black mourning clothes with veils, to lay a wreath at  Cain’s burial site at Church Street Graveyard, wail over their "departed husband's" grave, then travel to Joe Cain’s former house on Augusta Street to offer a toast and eulogy to their "Beloved Joe".