Mardi Gras Celebrations in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, La. — As folks head back to work on Tuesday following a long holiday weekend, New Orleans is alive with the festivities of Mardi Gras, featuring flying beads, crawfish boils, and vibrant parades.

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, symbolizes the grand finale of the week-long Carnival season, marking the last opportunity for indulgence and celebration before the reflective and sacrificial period of Christian Lent begins.

This joyful send-off to Carnival occurs the day before Ash Wednesday.

One highlight of the season is the parade organized by the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, known for its lively atmosphere and unique flair.

Participants and float riders in the Zulu parade don African-inspired costumes and toss “throws,” which include decorative items like plastic beads, candies, doubloons, stuffed animals, cups, and toys.

The parade’s most coveted “throw” is a hand-decorated coconut, highly sought after by many revelers.

Later in the day, Rex, the King of Carnival, parades through St. Charles Street, which is adorned with ancient oak trees draped in Spanish moss and scattered with beads.

The Carnival events are celebrated not just for their impressive, oversized floats, but also for the elaborate costumes. Participants often include a black-masked Indian in a feather headdress paired with a beaded and jeweled outfit. Many parade-goers also stroll through the French Quarter in handmade costumes that embody the distinctive spirit of the Big Easy.

From glamorous balls to the Cajun tradition of the Courir de Mardi Gras, there’s an array of festivities happening across New Orleans. The latter involves participants in costumes performing, seeking food, and even chasing live chickens that are eventually simmered in communal gumbo.

In addition to New Orleans, parades are also celebrated in other Gulf Coast cities like Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, alongside renowned festivities in Brazil and Europe.