Who Celebrates Mardi Gras?
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 "farewell to the flesh" using their own unique cultural backgrounds. Does this Spark an idea?
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New Orleans "Krewes"
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Historically, "krewes," (members-only social clubs such as Zulu, Orpheus and Rex) build the fancy floats that parade throughout Mardi Gras.
Cajun Mardi Gras in Mamou, Louisiana
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Cajuns celebrate Mardi Gras by costuming in fringed suits, pointy hats and chasing a chicken. Once the chicken is caught, it's cooked in a pot of gumbo and enjoyed by all.
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Chief Mardi Gras Tradition
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Members of urban African American communities in New Orleans dress in elaborate, home-made beaded, feathered costumes and follow the "Big Chief" down unplanned neighborhood routes.
Mobile, Alabama
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Mobile's Mardi Gras history dates back to the eighteenth century and continues to thrive today.
Mardi Gras Internationally
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Rio de Janeiro boasts lavish Mardi Gras parades, feathered costumes and a proliferation of drag queens. In Ireland, Mardi Gras is called "Shrove Tuesday," and it is observed by eating pancakes. Throughout Europe and Latin America, Mardi Gras remains one of the major holidays of the year.
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