Celebrating Mardi Gras

New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras since the 18th century. The Krewe of Comus, a secret society or private social club, put on the first Mardi Gras parade in 1857. Masks and costumes...

Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday" is celebrated every year to mark the beginning of Lent. New Orleans is the hometown of this event. Wearing a mask is a long-standing tradition of Mardi Gras. Choose a...

Mardi Gras has its roots in pagan celebrations of spring that date back 5,000 years. In the United States, Mardi Gras is officially held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

While nudists are best known for, well, being nude, that doesn't mean they can't indulge in some spiffy costumes for Mardi Gras. Rather than bundling up like many other folks, nudists can still...

Mardi Gras is a celebration that encourages people to let loose before Lent. Mardi Gras is a party with brightly colored parades, beads flying through the air and of course, beautiful masks. It is...

They're cheap. They're tacky. They're made of plastic. But they're prized like pearls every Fat Tuesday on the streets of New Orleans. Just like everything else associated with Mardi Gras, beads...

"Throw me something, mister!" yell the crowds along New Orleans' parade routes. They're yelling for beads--those gaudy, cheap, plastic necklaces omnipresent during Mardi Gras season.

Contrary to what you may have seen on television, Mardi Gras isn't just for drunken college revelers, and it isn't localized entirely on Bourbon Street. People young and old gather to bid...

Mardi Gras is a celebration that dates back to medieval Europe. Though the history of Mardi Gras dates back to the Romans, it really began in the New World when explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne...

If you're heading to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, you will be joining the thousands who will line the hundreds of parade routes. You'll want to dress appropriately for Mardi Gras to make...

Mardi Gras is more than a chance to dust off your old Halloween costume--it's a time to experiment with a new identity. Think sultry, not scary; sequins, not spider webs.

Whether you're a displaced Louisianian or just a Mardi Gras aficionado, you probably resent having to go to work on the biggest party day in New Orleans. Here are a few ways to bring the...

Mardi Gras is a celebration steeped in tradition and culture, one of America's biggest parties of the year. One of the most popular customs of Mardi Gras is the throwing of colorful beads from...

Mardi Gras has proved to be one of the most popular of France's exports. Originating in France during the Middle Ages, Mardi Gras continues to be celebrated in France as well as in locations...

Many cities and countries celebrate Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. One of the more famous celebrations is the one in New Orleans. Wearing masks and costumes is an essential tradition for the festivity.

Although Mardi Gras is a time of fun and revelry, it also has an air of mystery. Party-goers hold masks on sticks. Float-riders dress in costumes and wear masks. Onlookers also wear masks and...

Learn about the history of Mardi Gras in the French Quarter in Louisiana, including the official colors and their meanings, who started the parades, what the beads are all about and why it's...

Celebrate Mardi Gras in style with a festive costume. While some Mardi Gras revelers enjoy gaudy and revealing costumes, others opt for elaborate costumes and accessories. Make every Mardi Gras...

Mardi Gras begins on January 6. The famous New Orleans celebration with parades, floats, bright costumes and great food really gets started about two weeks prior to Fat Tuesday. The party is over...

As Mardi Gras rapidly approaches and the city of New Orleans braces, you too can participate in the festivities right from the sofa in your living room! All you need to do is become your own...

We should never drink and drive. Accidents can and will happen, but they shouldn't happen because we have drank to much and decided to get behind the wheel of anything. Alcohol slows downs our...

If you've ever wanted to go to Mardi Gras but have heard too many horror stories about the wild crowds and crime - never fear. I've got a few tips that will help you avoid the worst and laissez...

Mardi Gras is a time to celebrate before the period of Lent begins. In New Orleans Mardi Gras is one of the biggest and best parties around . So just because you cant make it to New Orleans does...

Going to a masquerade party can mean different things to different people. At Halloween the costume parties are often referred to as masquerade parties, where the guests dress up in Halloween...

One of the most well known holidays in the world is Mardi Gras. It is a countrywide celebration in many parts of the world and has a long history. In the United States, Mardi Gras is not a...

So you've finally made it to celebrate Mardi Gras in the famed Crescent City! If you're planning on attending any of the Mardi Gras parades, there are certain rules of etiquette that you should...

The colorful red, green and gold plastic Mardi Gras beads are a staple of parades for the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras Day. While you can buy beads in souvenir shops and through mail order,...

Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holy day. It precedes the 40 days of Lent. Lent is a time for reflection leading up to Easter Sunday. In New Orleans, people celebrate Fat...

A staple of Mardi Gras since the late 19th century, purple, green and gold strands of beads have been thrown from floats to French Quarter parade watchers as part of the yearly festivities. The...

Mazatlan, Mexico, is one of the most popular destinations for those who wish to celebrate Mardi Gras (called Carnaval). While New Orleans may host the most dominant Mardi Gras celebration,...

Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and one that hosts one of the best Carnival celebrations in the country. Unlike Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, however, Sao Paulo's Carnival is less raucous....

Mardi Gras is celebrated throughout the world, although it is most prominent in the Americas. In Yucatan, Mexico, for example, Mardi Gras is one of the biggest events of the year. The Yucatan...

Las Tablas, Panama is one of Central America's busiest Mardi Gras destinations. Not only does Las Tablas itself have a reputation for amazing Mardi Gras festivities, but nearly the entire country...

Panama City, like the rest of the Republic of Panama, comes to an almost complete halt during Mardi Gras, which is also called Carnaval. Revelers and tourists from around the globe descend on...

New Orleans is the undisputed king of Mardi Gras in the United States, but it is not the only city that hosts the event. Cities like New Roads, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, are also great...

New Orleans may be the most famous place to go for Mardi Gras, but that doesn't mean there aren't incredible alternatives. Galveston, Texas, for example, has one of the biggest Mardi Gras events...

New Orleans has long been considered the true destination for those wishing to celebrate Mardi Gras. New Orleans isn't the only city to celebrate some version of Mardi Gras, however. Detroit does...

Pensacola, a city in the Florida panhandle, is famous not just for its beaches, but also for some of its festivals. It's annual Mardi Gras festival is known throughout the world and draws droves...

Carnival, like Mardi Gras, is one of the most prominent events held annually in locations around the world. Rio de Janeiro, for example, is one of the prominent tourist destinations at the time of...

Venice is famous for its canals, gondolas and incredible architecture. Even so, it is the people and the culture that makes Venice a truly remarkable place to visit. One of the best times to visit...

Mardi Gras may be famous in New Orleans, but it was actually Mobile, Alabama that originated the U.S. celebration. To this day, 300 years later, Mardi Gras is celebrated every year in Mobile with...

Lafayette, Louisiana has become home to one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the South, eclipsed only by those held in Mobile and New Orleans. Lafayette draws over one million visitors...

Mardi Gras often brings to mind New Orleans, large parades and big city celebrations. Mardi Gras is also celebrated in rural areas of Louisiana. These areas are full of festivities and good times...

Learning to catch Mardi Gras beads is considered an art by many. While you may go and buy bags of beads at any local party-supply store, actually catching them during the parade or receiving them...

It wouldn't be Mardi Gras without the costumes. A close second to Halloween when it comes to dressing up and pretending to be somebody else, Mardi Gras is characterized by festive and often...

The biggest event of a Mardi Gras celebration is watching the parades on Fat Tuesday. Thousands of visitors congregate around the city to see the passing floats, and finding a good spot to settle...

Mardi Gras is one of the most popular carnival seasons in the world. In New Orleans, the home of Mardi Gras, the events lasts for about 2 weeks, starting in January and ending 14 days later, on...

No Mardi Gras party is complete without decorations. To get your guests into the spirit of the season, plan well in advance so your home becomes a recreation of a New Orleans street. Think colors...

Much of the Mardi Gras spirit has to do with food. This is not the time to watch your diet or worry about your waist, as traditional foods served in this season are often rich and oily. From the...

Making your own Mardi Gras float can be as simple or as elaborate as you decide, but it's certainly a lot of fun. Anyone can make mini-floats. It requires only a few materials and a lot of...