Mardi Gras!
Everyone knows all about the wild festival that has taken place around the world for centuries. The history and background of the party is essentially explained in the name, Mardi Gras, which translates from French into English directly to “Fat Tuesday”. It is a time to “fatten” up before the religious ritual of Lent, 40 days of contribution or fasting that starts the day before Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday before Easter, in Christianity. Yet Mardi Gras as Americans know it has stemmed into something far from anything with religious intent. Every year the city of New Orleans, Louisiana becomes packed to the rafters with party people from around the world to feast, drink, dance, and go absolutely insane.
The free music played and performed during Mardi Gras has a certain identity of its own and typically has a Creole background. Music like that of the band The Wild Magnolias and Olympia Brass Band fill the air as well as many different performances from musicians like New Orleans’ native, rapper Mystikal. Yet the music is just one factor in the wild affair.
The parades during the festivities are most famous. Floats of people that range from young to old, gay to straight, quirky to the extremely abnormal, will all pass you by. These people, if they should feel comfortable enough with their bodies enough, are notorious for shedding clothing and usually donning nudity. Thousands of people participate to accessorize the floats that range in themes I won’t begin to attempt to mention here. You really will see everything under the sun in your time there, if you can last through the Bourbon Street mayhem! Oh yeah, and I shouldn’t really have to tell you to bring beads, right?
If you wanted to see other perspectives on the traditional holiday, other cities in countries around the world are still well known for their events too, including Quebec City and Montreal in Quebec, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Sweden. Don’t forget you can go to other cities across America, almost every major city has some form of celebration, although it may not be what you had hoped for!
Check out this video with some highlights from Mardi Gras in New Orleans: