The New Orleans Mardi Gras is all about fun, excitement, celebrations and colorful costumes. What is much less known is that the event has religious significance and allows people in the christian world to indulge before the start of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
The Mardi Gras is French in origin and can be traced all the way back to somewhere in the Middle Ages. It was the Frenchman, Iberville, who bought the Mardi Gras name to Louisiana, when he came ashore around sixty miles from what we now know as New Orleans. He called that particular place, Point du Mardi Gras. For one reason or another it wasn't until 1823 that the first serious Mardi Gras celebration, as we know it today anyway, occurred with parties and great merriment being a hallmark from the beginning. The Mardi Gras has really thrived from the beginning of the 20th Century and this huge carnival just keeps getting bigger every year. With much revelry and dancing in the streets, accompanied by beautifully decorated horse drawn carriages and floats, what is there not to like?
What you will find at this outrageous carnival are French royals, showgirls dressed in feathers, painted clowns and bunnies, all parading the streets of New Orleans. You can join in the throngs of people to watch magnificent floats go by, performers performing outrageous tricks and heaps of marching bands and plenty of jazz music to draw you in. You can expect to see more than 350 floats and over 15000 costumes being paraded.
Many famous traditions started with Mardi Gras and one originated from a visit by the Russian duke Alexis Romanoff. Today this royal visit from the house of Romanoff is flaunted with their royal house colors of purple, green and gold, which stand for justice, faith and power and which have now become the official colors of the Mardi Gras. Another wonderful tradition is the throwing of thousands upon thousands of colorful bead necklaces from the floats, a souvenir everyone loves to take home with them, along with cups and toy coins.
In order for everyone to enjoy the excitement, Mardi Gras is a public holiday in New Orleans, so businesses close and streets are shut down.
So who is up for a piece of cake? Not just any cake, I'm talking "King Cakes"! There are over 500,000 king cakes sold each year throughout New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season. This fantastic Mardi Gras treats has also spawn a great export market with 50,000 king cakes being shipped from the city each year. The very best of these king cakes include a small plastic baby doll. The one who gets this particular cake is declared a 'king', but then they also have to shout the next cake!
At the commence of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans a group of about fifty people called the Phunny Phorty Phellows, (or PPP for short) ride in their costumes in a decorated car along St Charles Avenue blowing loud trumpets. They are also accompanied by another New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition, the Dixieland band.
One can go on talking about the New Orleans Mardi Gras, but you have to be there to experience the magic. It is on the bucket list of things to do for millions of would-be travelers.
The Mardi Gras is French in origin and can be traced all the way back to somewhere in the Middle Ages. It was the Frenchman, Iberville, who bought the Mardi Gras name to Louisiana, when he came ashore around sixty miles from what we now know as New Orleans. He called that particular place, Point du Mardi Gras. For one reason or another it wasn't until 1823 that the first serious Mardi Gras celebration, as we know it today anyway, occurred with parties and great merriment being a hallmark from the beginning. The Mardi Gras has really thrived from the beginning of the 20th Century and this huge carnival just keeps getting bigger every year. With much revelry and dancing in the streets, accompanied by beautifully decorated horse drawn carriages and floats, what is there not to like?
What you will find at this outrageous carnival are French royals, showgirls dressed in feathers, painted clowns and bunnies, all parading the streets of New Orleans. You can join in the throngs of people to watch magnificent floats go by, performers performing outrageous tricks and heaps of marching bands and plenty of jazz music to draw you in. You can expect to see more than 350 floats and over 15000 costumes being paraded.
Many famous traditions started with Mardi Gras and one originated from a visit by the Russian duke Alexis Romanoff. Today this royal visit from the house of Romanoff is flaunted with their royal house colors of purple, green and gold, which stand for justice, faith and power and which have now become the official colors of the Mardi Gras. Another wonderful tradition is the throwing of thousands upon thousands of colorful bead necklaces from the floats, a souvenir everyone loves to take home with them, along with cups and toy coins.
In order for everyone to enjoy the excitement, Mardi Gras is a public holiday in New Orleans, so businesses close and streets are shut down.
So who is up for a piece of cake? Not just any cake, I'm talking "King Cakes"! There are over 500,000 king cakes sold each year throughout New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season. This fantastic Mardi Gras treats has also spawn a great export market with 50,000 king cakes being shipped from the city each year. The very best of these king cakes include a small plastic baby doll. The one who gets this particular cake is declared a 'king', but then they also have to shout the next cake!
At the commence of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans a group of about fifty people called the Phunny Phorty Phellows, (or PPP for short) ride in their costumes in a decorated car along St Charles Avenue blowing loud trumpets. They are also accompanied by another New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition, the Dixieland band.
One can go on talking about the New Orleans Mardi Gras, but you have to be there to experience the magic. It is on the bucket list of things to do for millions of would-be travelers.
About the Author:
For an extensive array of information and advice for the New Orleans Mardi Gras, including travel options, travel tips, party spots and other activities you should contact the events and festival travel specialists, FOMO Travel.
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