Mardi Gras in New Orleans

"Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday." It is the day before Ash Wednesday, a day of celebration and partying before the rigors of Lent's forty days of fasting and sacrifice. While the calendar shows Mardi Gras as a Tuesday, the festivities begin much earlier, on January 6th (Kings Day), and most of the celebration is in the form of Balls and Parades for two weeks or more before Mardi Gras Day.

Mardi Gras is celebrated in many cities of the country, and in many countries of the world. In New Orleans it is a holiday, and the City is shut down. The Mardi Gras customs of today have evolved over several hundred years. If you are not native to the area, you will have to learn the lingo, customs, rules and philosophy to truly appreciate what Mardi Gras is about. The following pages will help you get started:

Mardi Gras Dates
How the date for Mardi Gras is determined, and what does it have to do with Easter?

Customs
Essentials for celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras "Rules."
How to enjoy Mardi Gras without getting hurt, or spending time in the "slammer."

Masking, Costumes
What kind of costume do you wear?

Mardi Gras in the French Quarter
The French Quarter is a different kind of place, and Mardi Gras in the French Quarter is a little different, too.

Mardi Gras Parades
Parades are the main theme of Mardi Gras, and this goes on for nearly three weeks.

King Cakes
King Cakes are one of the more popular foods of Mardi Gras, and they hit the shelves before Christmas.

Lagniappe

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)
Accidentally launched in a space ship destined for Mars, Abbott and Costello land in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and think that the wild maskers are Martians.