Mardi Gras: The Main Attraction of New Orleans

New Orleans is known for many great things. From the famous attractions to beautiful towns, everybody certainly could enjoy the visit. They also have festivals and events you can witness and join. One of these events is the Mardi Gras, also known to some as Fat Tuesday, where you can see long colorful floats in parades. According to Sarah Buder, the festival is one of the most visited annual holidays with approximately 1.4 million visitors. If you are heading to New Orleans to witness the event, here are a few things you need to know.

What is Mardi Gras?

The word Mardi Gras is a French term that means Fat Tuesday, according to Alvaro Barrientos of CNN Travel. The holiday is also famous for the name Shrove Tuesday, from the word Shrovetide with an equivalent English term Carnival. To shrive means to hear confessions if we apply the theologian context of Roman Catholicism. The event can be traced back to the 17th and 18th century in a European Carnival celebration. And in 1699, Barrientos said that explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville realized that it was the eve of the medieval holiday when he arrived in Louisiana and declared a plot of land as “Pointe du Mardi Gras” and threw a small party. In 1718, the New Orleans was established, and since it was near the Pointe du Mardi Gras, it became the place for the party. In 1930, the annual celebration was held in the said city, and the city officially named it Mardi Gras Festival or Fat Tuesday.

The annual festival begins on the 12th day after Christmas, according to Leah Silverman of Country and Town, and it continues until Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Christian fasting for Lenten season. During this period, you can witness parades, balls, parties. Initially, Christians prepared pancakes to consume the stock of eggs, milk, fat, and butter, making it their food for the party. But over the years, it has evolved into one big event with heavy partying and eating.

Important Symbols and Terms for Mardi Gras

The festival has a few symbols that bring significance to the celebration. Without them, the event may be of no sense to the people participating. Here are a few symbols you can expect during the event. Colors Purple, Gold, and Green. The shades are said to symbolize justice (purple), faith (gold), and power (green). According to Silverman, rumor has it that in 1872 when Grand Duke Alexis, the heir to the Russian throne, visited the place, the welcoming committee handed out to the partygoers some beads with the said colors. Since then, it has been the color of the festival and it was later given meaning.

Krewe. Krewe is the term used that refers to the organizations responsible for planning and organizing the event. These Krewes do not reveal their identities, so they wear an elaborate mask during the parades. They are the ones who think of the theme of the parade which is kept secret until the night of the event. They are also the ones responsible for the arrangement of schedules of the masquerade balls and parties. There are over 70 secret societies involved in Mardi Gras and communicate in making the event a grand celebration. Silverman said that, during the 1700s, the celebration was always impromptu and had been canceled because of destructive drunken parties. But in 1837, a secret society helped to elevate the chaos and replace it with balls and parades. Since then, the Krewes have taken on the responsibility of organizing the event annually.

Go Cup. This term means people in the event can carry with them alcoholic beverages in plastic cups. During the festival, they are allowed to take their drinks from parade to parade or party to party.

Neutral Grounds. This term is used to distinguish where Mardi Gras-goers stay or stand through the parades routes.

Throws. The Krewes create unique ornaments and toss it to the goers during the parade. They then will catch it and use them as souvenirs to take home. The goers must shout the throwing code “throw me something mister” to be given a throw from the Krewes. Receiving throws is considered a great honor. Buder said the Throws are an added tradition to Mardi Gras and have been practiced for over 130 years.

The King’s Cake. The King’s Cake is a Glazed pastry frosted with Mardi Gras colors. It is usually circular to represent a king’s crown. It started back in Medieval times when Spanish, Belgian, and French cultures commemorated the 12th day of Christmas with sweets and gifts. It has biblical roots -- when the kings visited the newly born Jesus, bringing sweets and gifts.

Masks. On regular days in New Orleans, Silverman said it is illegal to wear a mask and they must be removed at 6 PM. However, during Mardi Gras, masquerade parties are part of the tradition.

The King of Carnival. The tradition is to honor the Duke Alexis’ visit to the venue before the selection of King of Carnival is determined by the Krewes. Today, it is the mayor who stands as the king carrying a symbolic key to the city.