One thing is for sure, you are going to find it very difficult to find more fun, more excitement, more celebrations and more colorful costumes than the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This event, also known as Fat Tuesday allows people 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?
There are countless things to see at this amazing festival, including French royals, showgirls dressed in feathers, painted clowns and bunnies. There are 100's of parades in the streets of New Orleans that start as early as 6 January each year. Anyone can join or just kick back and watch these huge floats go by, with performers performing outrageous tricks, marching bands aplenty and jazz music all keeping you entertained. Can you believe that there is up to 350 floats and more than 15000 costumes being paraded each year?
A major attraction at Mardi Gras is the throwing of many thousands of colorful bead necklaces from the floats. These form a sort of souvenir for the crowd that everyone gets to take home with them. There is also plenty of cups and toy coins thrown as well. A tradition that originated many years ago at Mardi Gras was during a visit by the Russian duke Alexis Romanoff. These days their royal house colors of purple, green and gold, which stand for justice, faith and power, have now become the official colors of the Mardi Gras.
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.
There are over 500,000 king cakes that are sold every year in this city between 6 January and Fat Tuesday and there are over 50,000 of these cakes that are shipped out of New Orleans on an overnight courier. You might find yourself nibbling on a cake, which includes a small plastic baby doll inside. If you find it, you are declared a king and you will be the one to buy the next cake!
The Mardi Gras season commences on the 6th of January each year. One of the traditions on this day involves a group called the Phunny Phorty Phellows, which contains about 50 men and women who ride in costumes in a decorated car along St Charles Avenue. The PPP blow loud trumpets, accompanied by a Dixieland band, and can often be seen eating the famous king cake and tossing it to people on the streets.
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?
There are countless things to see at this amazing festival, including French royals, showgirls dressed in feathers, painted clowns and bunnies. There are 100's of parades in the streets of New Orleans that start as early as 6 January each year. Anyone can join or just kick back and watch these huge floats go by, with performers performing outrageous tricks, marching bands aplenty and jazz music all keeping you entertained. Can you believe that there is up to 350 floats and more than 15000 costumes being paraded each year?
A major attraction at Mardi Gras is the throwing of many thousands of colorful bead necklaces from the floats. These form a sort of souvenir for the crowd that everyone gets to take home with them. There is also plenty of cups and toy coins thrown as well. A tradition that originated many years ago at Mardi Gras was during a visit by the Russian duke Alexis Romanoff. These days their royal house colors of purple, green and gold, which stand for justice, faith and power, have now become the official colors of the Mardi Gras.
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.
There are over 500,000 king cakes that are sold every year in this city between 6 January and Fat Tuesday and there are over 50,000 of these cakes that are shipped out of New Orleans on an overnight courier. You might find yourself nibbling on a cake, which includes a small plastic baby doll inside. If you find it, you are declared a king and you will be the one to buy the next cake!
The Mardi Gras season commences on the 6th of January each year. One of the traditions on this day involves a group called the Phunny Phorty Phellows, which contains about 50 men and women who ride in costumes in a decorated car along St Charles Avenue. The PPP blow loud trumpets, accompanied by a Dixieland band, and can often be seen eating the famous king cake and tossing it to people on the streets.
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:
FOMO Travel, the events and festival travel specialists, has developed a new site that provides an extensive array of information and advice for the New Orleans Mardi Gras, including travel options, travel tips, party spots and other activities.
