What comes to mind when you think of Mardi Gras? Along with the parades, parties, masks, floats, and beads galore, Mardi Gras has a deep history with roots around the world and has been tradition in America since the early 1700s. Even with the poor economy, thousands of Americans are spending their way through and to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras 2009.
Mardi Gras is also known as Pancake Day, Dollar Day, and Fat Tuesday, which is what Mardi Gras means in French. The holiday was born as a last-minute bacchanal before the Catholic Lent, a 40-day time of self-denial and fasting that begins the Wednesday after Mardi Gras on a day known as Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras can fall on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9, depending on when Ash Wednesday occurs. Celebrations start on January 6 and pick up steam from then on, climaxing the midnight of Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras's popularity can be traced back to medieval Europe, and today it is celebrated throughout the world.
In America, Mardi Gras is not universally celebrated, but a number of cities and regions have notable celebrations - the most famous of which is undoubtedly that of New Orleans'. Across the nation, both major cities and small towns have adapted various from the holiday's fashion. Companies have also adopted the traditions and incorporated them in their service: International House of Pancakes (IHOP) has a free pancake day every Fat Tuesday, and Universal Theme Park in Orlando has Mardi Gras celebrations throughout January until March.
But nothing beats a personal experience in the Big Easy during Mardi Gras. The celebration has been called irresistibly fun, vibrant, sarcastic and sassy. The parades are extravagant and the entertainment amazing. People dress up in costumes and in anything and everything imaginable. The areas in New Orleans which the have most to offer for the celebrations are the French Quarter, Canal Street and Bourbon Street, and the best time to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras is the Saturday, Sunday and Monday leading up to Fat Tuesday.
The most notable tradition of New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration is the throwing of beads to the crowd from floats, which began in the 1870's. Along with the beads, cups, doubloons and stuffed animals are sometimes tossed. Mardi Gras costs nothing itself to attend and so has been dubbed "The Greatest Free Show on Earth." However, spending occurs in bars, shops and hotels all over New Orleans during the festival, and economic impact reports indicate that Mardi Gras generates over $1 billion annually, to the great benefit of the New Orleans economy.
Though Mardi Gras is not about getting drunk, dancing the night away and flashing for beads, these things do occur - alongside much of the older traditions, such as the wearing of masks, the flying of the traditional colors of Mardi Gras, and the holding of formal balls.
The first Mardi Gras parade in America was led in 1710, by a huge, wheeled bull's head pushed along by 16 men. This tradition is today reflected in the giant paper papier-mâché head floats still found in the parades. The first formal balls were established in the 1740's and have continued since, and in the early 1800s, New Orleans held street processions, with masqueraders in carriages and on horseback to celebrate the holiday.
The 1870's were a big time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans as the "King of Carnival: Rex" was established and the official colors, song and flag were chosen. Rex is traditionally chosen and sponsored by The School of Design - not really a school, but a club dating to the 1870's whose prime focus has always been New Orleans' Mardi Gras parade.
The colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold and respectively represent justice, faith and power. Mardi Gras gained the official stamp of approval when the Mardi Gras Act was passed in 1875, making Fat Tuesday an official and legal holiday in Louisiana.
Though today is Ash Wednesday and Mardi Gras is over, there are still celebrations going on around the country and world this week and weekend. Do not be surprised to see purple, green, and gold around, and most likely beads will be flying around your local bars and major cities.
Source: http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/
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