New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is the legendary party in New Orleans. Retaining some of its pagan spirit, thousands take to the street in a virtuoso display of fabulously colourful costumes and magical floats.
Carnival celebrations start on Twelfth Night (the Feast of Epiphany), picking up speed until midnight on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. The climax of the festival is on the day of Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday" as it is known to the locals. This is the traditional day for masking, hence the plethora of elaborate costumes swathed in feathers and sequins.
On the day itself the main problem is a lack of time. Zulu and Rex, the Kings of the Carnival, host the two daytime parades. By dawn the main route (along St Charles Ave) is full of people jostling for a prime spot. The Zulu parade begins at breakfast, with the Rex parade following on immediately after. This is an all-day party, New Orleans-style.
Processions are made up of parading clubs known as "krewes", who dress up and act out scenes featuring well-known people. The original take-offs were of royalty, but today any prominent figure is a target, especially politicians. Drag queens are perennially popular.
It is thought that the Mardi Gras originated when the Church added its Christian gloss to the decadent Roman festival of Lupercalia in an attempt to eradicate paganism. The traditions of Gay Mardi Gras came into being in the 1950s. The first Gay Mardi Gras "krewe" was the Krewe of Yuga or "KY", formed to satirise the straight, aristocratic Mardi Gras traditions in 1958. Things have changed since these clandestine days - and now five "krewes" dominate the celebrations. Each throw their own exclusive ball in the evening.
If you decide to take part in Mardi Gras, some sort of costume is a necessity. Your ultimate destination depends on who you are. Tourists tend to crowd drunkenly into Bourbon St and enjoy the squeeze, while local communities tend to host their own wild, but more organised and personal celebrations. If you can wangle it, make friends with a local and go along to their community bash - that way you're guaranteed a Mardi Gras to remember.
Related Information
Website: New Orleans Mardi Gras Website
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Information |
| Phone: | +1 504 566 5019 |
| Town Information: | New Orleans |
| Full Name: |
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Information |
| Phone: | +1 504 566 5019 |
| Name: | New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau |
| Location: | New Orleans |
| Address: | 2020 Street Charles Avenue, LA 70130 |
| Email: | internet@neworleanscvb.com |
| Phone: | +1 800 672 6124 |
| Name: | Louisiana Tourism |
| Location: | Louisiana |
| Email: | jrichard@crt.state.la.us |
