Mardi Gras: A Brief History and Definition

Mardi Gras. The words themselves conjure visions of parties, parades and colorful beads. Mardi Gras in the modern world is celebrated as a giant party. Drinking, sex and revelry in the streets mark many of the celebrations both in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. There is much more to Mardi Gras than is apparent, however. The history and traditions of Mardi Gras make it as much a party for families as it is for partying 20-something college students.

Mardi Gras literally means "fat Tuesday" in French and is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, 47 days before Easter. Ash Wednesday starts a period of fasting in the Catholic religion. Fat Tuesday was the traditional day to feast before the fasting began. Since the majority of settlers in the New Orleans area were Spanish and French with a large Catholic element, the carnival that is Mardi Gras became a traditional feast day in this area. In the late 1800s, Mardi Gras began to resemble what we see today. The traditional colors were adopted and the "krewes" began running the parades. Purple, green and gold are the traditional colors for Mardi Gras. The colors signify justice, faith and power.

The true spirit and grandeur of today's Mardi Gras celebrations began appearing in the 1960s. The tourism aspect of the parades and parties made it financially sound to put many of the cities resources to work for Mardi Gras. Parades, costume contests, masks and "krewes" grew and became common place. Family friendly parades and parties are present as well as the more raucous nighttime festivals. Parades and celebrations of Mardi Gras have now grown and appear in such places as Mobile, Alabama and in many towns along the coast of Mississippi.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina impacted the celebration of Mardi Gras tremendously for several years. The first two years after the hurricane resulted in some of the lowest numbers of visitors to Mardi Gras in this modern time. But, New Orleans never allowed the aftermath to stop their celebration.

The Mardi Gras season actually runs from January 6^th through Fat Tuesday in February. But, the celebrations do not really kick into gear until the last two weeks before the "official" Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday). To truly participate in the drunken revelry of flashing, beads and masks, you need to be on Bourbon street for the last week. Any other place or time is going to be slightly more restrained. Family friendly parades are usually scheduled during daylight hours away from the French Quarter. For more information on this years carnival and celebration, visit the official Mardi Gras website at http://www.mardigras.com/ .