What Mardi Gras Costumes Do People Wear?

Mardi Gras is a celebration during the buildup to Lent. Specifically, Mardi Gras occurs on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Partygoers and revelers dress up in a wide variety of costumes, many of them based on traditional styles. The costumes often are accented by beaded necklaces.

French Colonial

Among the more-common costumes during Mardi Gras are French Colonial outfits. These generally come in the form of the clothing worn by the French aristocracy in the late 1700s to early 1800s. Revelers often also wear masks.

Clowns

Clowns of all varieties are a common sight on the streets of the French Quarter during Mardi Gras. Many street performers use such outfits to accent a variety of arts such as music, mime or juggling.

Voodoo

Another traditional style of Mardi Gras dress is based on the imagery of Voodoo, a religion with roots in African culture. However, voodoo-style costumes usually are based on popular-culture imagery rather than that of the religion.

Pirates

Due to New Orleans' proximity to the Caribbean pirates of the 1700s, a number of revelers dress up as pirates. These costumes have become even more popular since the release of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.

Paint

Some Mardi Gras partygoers choose to wear very little, such as shorts or swimsuits, and simply paint their bodies.

References

• Mardi Gras Outfits
• Mardi Gras Costumes
• Mardi Gras Links

Resources

• Mardi Gras Day