- Mardi Gras is a time to dress up and celebrate. Some Mardi Gras costumes border on the verge of tacky and outrageous, others are clever and wacky. A few traditional Mardi Gras costumes include Mardi Gras jesters, kings, queens, fairies and devils. Some revelers dress in costumes representing an event that happened during the previous year. Other brave revelers opt for body paint instead of an actual costume. Some couples coordinate the colors or themes of their costumes.
- Mardi Gras celebrations take place the two weeks before Ash Wednesday, with the culmination being Fat Tuesday. Finding a Mardi Gras costume could be difficult if you wait too long. In cities where there are large celebrations, costume shops and party stores often sell out of supplies. Book or purchase your costume as soon as you know you'll be celebrating Mardi Gras. Be aware of the costume rental policies. It's not uncommon to have food or beverages spilled upon Mardi Gras revelers. Consider ordering costumes online. Make sure to order the costume well in advance of Mardi Gras to ensure it arrives. Think about making your own Mardi Gras costume. Search the Internet for ideas and purchase supplies at the local craft store. Making a Mardi Gras costume can save revelers some money.
- A popular Mardi Gras accessory is a decorated mask. Adorned with glitter, feathers, beads, jewels or ribbon these masks complete every costume. Masks allow revelers to play out the final moments of fun before Lent, while their identity is hidden. Another favorite costume accessory are beads. Mardi Gras revelers wear multiple strands of beads around their neck and any place they have room. Other costumes are accessorized with coins, hats and boas.
- The traditional colors of a Mardi Gras celebration are purple, green and gold. Many costumes, masks, beads and other accessories follow this color pattern. The color purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. The Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff of Russia selected the colors in 1872, while in New Orleans pursing a woman. The colors were officially adopted in 1892, when they were assigned meaning and the theme of the Rex Parade. Focus on these colors when selecting or making a costume for Mardi Gras.
- Dressing in a costume dates back to festivals in pre-Christian Rome. Several times in the history of Mardi Gras costuming was forbidden. This includes during the Spanish rule of the late 1700s and after the Louisiana Purchase, when Louisiana went to American rule. The law was repealed in 1830 and costuming thrived. Costumes were meant to keep identities secret, especially those of float riders in parades. Members of some krewes risked losing their membership if their identity was revealed during the parade. This tradition continues today. Many locals wear a different costume to every major parade or every night of the last big weekend.
