Revelers, Frenchmen Street, Faubourg Marigny.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the most famous Carnival celebrations in the world (also see Mardi Gras). Revelers on Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Mardi Gras Day 1997. ... Revelers on Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Mardi Gras Day 1997. ... Faubourg Marigny or simply Marigny is a neighborhood in the downtown section of New Orleans, Louisiana, just down river from the famous French Quarter. ... Nickname: Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates: Country United States State Louisiana Parish Orleans Founded 1718 Government  - Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Area  - City  350. ... Carnival or Carnivale is an annual Christian festival season. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in the start of the Catholic season of Lent, starts on Twelfth Night (January 6). The season of parades, balls (some of them masquerade balls), and king cake parties begins on that date. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In Western Christianity, Lent... Twelfth Night is a holiday in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany, or Twelfth Day, and is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the evening of the 5 January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany. In some traditions it is taken to mean... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 359 days (360 in leap years) remaining. ... United States Marines on parade. ... A ball is a formal dance. ... A masquerade ball (or masque) is an event which the participants attend in costume, usually including a mask. ... Le gâteau des Rois, by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1774 (Musée Fabre) A king cake (sometimes rendered as kingcake) is a type of cake associated with Carnival traditions. ...

From about two weeks before, through Fat Tuesday, there is at least one major parade each day. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the season. In the final week of Carnival many events large and small occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Mardi gras. ...

The parades in New Orleans are organized by Carnival krewes. Krewe float riders toss throws to the crowds; the most common throws are strings, usually made of plastic colorful beads, doubloons (aluminium or wooden dollar-sized coins usually impressed with a krewe logo), decorated plastic throw cups, and small inexpensive toys. Major krewes follow the same parade schedule and route each year. A Krewe (pronounced identically to English crew) is an organization that puts on a parade and or a ball for the Carnival season. ... A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tournament of Roses Parade. ...

While many tourists center their Mardi Gras season activities on Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, none of the major Mardi Gras parades have entered the Quarter since 1972 because of its narrow streets and overhead obstructions. Instead, major parades originate in the Uptown and Mid-City districts and follow a route along St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, on the upriver side of the French Quarter. The famous sign of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. ... French Quarter: upper Chartres street looking down towards Jackson Square and the spires of St. ... St. ... Canal Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

To New Orleanians, "Mardi Gras" refers only to the final and most elaborate day of the Carnival Season; visitors tend to refer to the entire Carnival as "Mardi Gras." Some locals have thus started to refer to the final day of Carnival as "Mardi Gras Day" to avoid confusion.

Revelers, Canal Street.

Revelers on Canal Street, New Orleans, Mardi Gras Day 1997. ... Revelers on Canal Street, New Orleans, Mardi Gras Day 1997. ... Canal Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

History

Mardi Gras was brought to Louisiana by early French settlers. The first record of the holiday being marked in Louisiana is 1699. The starting date of festivities in New Orleans is unknown, but an account from 1743 notes that the custom of Carnival balls was already established by that date. Processions and masking in the streets on Mardi Gras Day took place, were sometimes prohibited by law, and were quickly renewed whenever such restrictions were lifted or enforcement waned , in 1833 Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville a rich plantation owner raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration. Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W... Events January 26 - Treaty of Karlowitz signed March 30 - the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa. ... // Events February 14 - Henry Pelham becomes British Prime Minister February 21 - - The premiere in London of George Frideric Handels oratorio, Samson. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

On Mardi Gras of 1857 the Mistick Krewe of Comus held its first parade. Comus is the oldest continuously active Mardi Gras organization and started a number of continuing traditions (for example, the use of floats in parades) and is considered the first Carnival krewe in the modern sense. 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Mistick Krewe of Comus (founded in 1856) is a New Orleans, Louisiana Carnival krewe. ... A Krewe (pronounced identically to English crew) is an organization that puts on a parade and or a ball for the Carnival season. ...

War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades, especially during the American Civil War and World War II, but celebration of Carnival has always been observed in the city. This article is becoming very long. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

1972 was the last year in which large parades went though the narrow streets of the city's old French Quarter neighborhood; larger floats and crowds and safety concerns led the city government to prohibit big parades in the Quarter. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

In 1979 the New Orleans police department went on strike. All the official parades were canceled or moved to surrounding communities such as Jefferson Parish. Significantly fewer tourists than usual came to the city. Masking, costuming, and celebrations continued anyway, with National Guard troops maintaining order. Guardsmen prevented crimes against persons or property but made no attempt to enforce laws regulating morality or drug use; for these reasons, some in the French Quarter bohemian community are fond of calling 1979 the city's best Mardi Gras ever. For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. ... The United States National Guard is a component of the United States Army (the Army National Guard) and the United States Air Force (the Air National Guard). ... The term Bohemian was first used in the nineteenth century to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities. ...

In 1991 the New Orleans city council passed an ordinance that required social organizations, including Mardi Gras Krewes, to certify publicly that they did not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, in order to obtain parade permits and other public licenses. In effect, the ordinance required these, and other, private social groups to abandon their traditional code of secrecy and identify their members for the city's Human Relations Commission. In protest, the 19th century krewes Comus and Momus stopped parading. Proteus did parade in the 1992 Carnival season but subsequently also suspended its parade for a time. In 2000, its membership decided to abide by the council resolution, and Proteus returned to the parade schedule. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Two federal courts later declared that the ordinance was an unconstitutional infringement on First Amendment rights of free association, and an unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of the groups subject to the ordinance. The decision of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals appears at volume 42, page 1483 of the Federal Reporter (3rd Series), or 42 F.3d 1483 (5th Cir. 1995). The Supreme Court refused to hear the city's appeal from this decision.

Today, many krewes operate under a business structure; membership is basically open to anyone who pays dues to have a place on a parade float. In contrast, the old-line krewes use the structure of the parades and balls to extend the traditions of the debutante season in their social circles.

A Knights of Chaos float satirizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , whose misdesigned levees resulted in the flooding of most of the city and many deaths.

The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans in late 2005 caused many to question the future of the city's Mardi Gras celebrations. The city government, essentially bankrupt after the storm, pushed for a massively scaled back celebration to limit strains on city services. However, many Krewes insisted that they wanted to and would be ready to parade, so negotiations between krewe leaders and city officials resulted in a compromise schedule scaled back but less severely than originally suggested. The 2006 New Orleans Carnival schedule included the Krewe du Vieux on its traditional route through Marigny and the French Quarter on February 11th, the Saturday 2 weekends before Mardi Gras, then several parades the Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th a week before Mardi Gras, followed by 6 days of parades Thursday night through Mardi Gras Day. Other than Krewe du Vieux and two Westbank parades going through Algiers, all New Orleans parades were restricted to the Saint Charles Avenue Uptown to Canal Street route, a section of the city which escaped significant flooding (some krewes unsuccessfully pushed to parade on their traditional Mid City route, despite the severe flood damage suffered by that neighborhood). Restrictions were placed on time parades can be on the street and how late at night they can end. Louisiana State troopers and National Guards assisted with crowd control for the first time since 1979. Many floats had been partially submerged in the floodwaters for weeks; while some krewes repaired and removed all traces of these effects, others incorporated flood lines and other damage into the designs of the floats. Most of the locals who worked on the floats and rode on them were significantly impacted by the storm's aftermath, and many had lost most or all of the possessions in their homes, but enthusiasm for Carnival was even more intense than usual as an affirmation of life. The themes of many costumes and floats had more barbed satire than usual, with commentary on the trials and tribulations of living in the devastated city, with references to MREs, Katrina refrigerators and FEMA trailers, along with much mocking of FEMA, local, and national politicians. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2477x1648, 1641 KB) Summary New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: Float in the Krewe of Chaos Mardi Gras parade satires U.S. Army Corps of Engineers poorly designed floodwalls, which failed resulting in flooding of most of the city and many deaths. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2477x1648, 1641 KB) Summary New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: Float in the Krewe of Chaos Mardi Gras parade satires U.S. Army Corps of Engineers poorly designed floodwalls, which failed resulting in flooding of most of the city and many deaths. ... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans was catastrophic and long-lasting. ... The Krewe du Vieux is a New Orleans Carnival (or Mardi Gras) Krewe, originally and more fully known as the Krewe du Vieux Carre (Vieux Carre being another term for the citys French Quarter). ... An MRE packet, containing a main course or entrée of spaghetti with meat sauce. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... FEMA trailer in front of formerly flooded house The term FEMA trailer,[1][2] or FEMA travel trailer, is the name commonly given by the United States Government[1] to many forms of temporary manufactured housing assigned to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita by the Federal Emergency... New FEMA seal The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA is an agency of the United States government dedicated to swift response in the event of disasters, both natural and man-made. ...

Traditional colors

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These are said to have been chosen in 1892, when the Rex Parade theme "Symbolism of Colors" gave the colors their meanings. The colors in turn influenced the official colors of Louisiana State University (purple and gold) and Tulane University (blue and green). According to lore, fans of Louisiana State University, prior to a match against Tulane in New Orleans, sought a color to purchase while in the City. As purple, green and gold were prominent in the city, the LSU fans bought purple and gold as it wasn't green and would later adopt the colors as their official colors. Before and during Mardi Gras, purple, green, and gold fabric is certainly abundant. An African Daisy of almost psychedelic purple Purple is any shades of color occurring between blue and red; this color is sometimes confused with the more narrowly-defined spectral color violet. ... Mossy, green fountain in Wattens, Austria. ... Gold is a shade of the color yellow closest to that of gold metal. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Rex (founded 1872) is a New Orleans Carnival Krewe which stages the citys largest parade on Mardi Gras Day. ... Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. ... Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

Contemporary Mardi Gras

Float on Magazine Street.

Mounted Krewe Officers in the Thoth Parade.

Saturn Parade, 1999, with a reference to the Lewinsky scandal.

Each year; the Mardi Gras (or Carnival) season starts on January 6, also known as "Twelfth Night." The Twelfth Night Revelers, one of Carnival's oldest Krewes, holds a masked ball each year to mark the occasion. Like Twelfth Night Revelers, many of Carnival's oldest groups -- such as the Elves of Oberon and the High Priests of Mithras -- hold masked balls, but do not parade in public. Carnival Parade floats on Magazine Street, New Orleans; photo by Infrogmation File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Carnival Parade floats on Magazine Street, New Orleans; photo by Infrogmation File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links ToHorses. ... Image File history File links ToHorses. ... New Orleans Mardi Gras Float with political satire, nightime parade, Krewe of Saturn, 1999. ... New Orleans Mardi Gras Float with political satire, nightime parade, Krewe of Saturn, 1999. ... The Monica Lewinsky scandal was a political-sex scandal emerging from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a then 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. ...

The parade season starts off some three weekends before Mardi Gras Day with the Krewe du Vieux parade. The Krewe du Vieux is a New Orleans Carnival (or Mardi Gras) Krewe, originally and more fully known as the Krewe du Vieux Carre (Vieux Carre being another term for the citys French Quarter). ...

There is usually at least one parade every night starting two Fridays before Mardi Gras.

The weekend before Mardi Gras

The population of New Orleans more than doubles with visitors this day. Friday night sees the large Krewe of Hermes and satirical Krewe D'Etat parades, as well as smaller neighborhood parades like the Krewe of Barkus and the Krewe of OAK. Several daytime parades roll on Saturday (including Krewe of Tucks) and Sunday (Okeanos and Thoth). The first of the "super krewes," Endymion, parades on Saturday night, with the celebrity-led Bacchus parade on Sunday night. The Krewe of Barkus, is a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade centered around dogs costumed according to a central parade theme and escorted by their human owners. ... The Krewe of OAK is a small neighborhood New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe and parade held in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. ... The Krewes signature float - fit for a king! Known for its irreverence, the Krewe of Tucks began in 1969 as a group of Loyola University students. ... Oceanus or Okeanos refers to the ocean, which the Greeks and Romans regarded as a river circling the world. ... , or , or [1] Thoth (Ramesseum, Luxor) Thoth, a Greek name derived from the Egyptian * (djih-how-tee) (written by Egyptians as ) was considered one of the most important deities of the Egyptian pantheon. ... The Krewe of Endymion is the largest of the krewes participating in New Orleans Mardi Gras. ... The Krewe of Bacchus was formed in 1968 to parade during the New Orleans Mardi Gras and is largely attributed with transforming and revitalizing the annual celebration into its modern form. ...

Lundi Gras

Monday is known as "Lundi Gras" ("Fat Monday"). The monarchs of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club and Krewe of Rex (who will parade the following day) arrive on the Mississippi River front at the foot of Canal Street, where an all-day party is staged. Uptown parades start with the Krewe of Proteus (dating back to 1882, the second oldest still parading in the city) followed by the music-themed super-Krewe Krewe of Orpheus on Monday night. The Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club (founded 1916) is a New Orleans Carnival Krewe which puts on the Zulu parade each Mardi Gras Day. ... Rex (founded 1872) is a New Orleans Carnival Krewe which stages the citys largest parade on Mardi Gras Day. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... Krewe of Orpheus was founded in 1993 by Harry Connick, Jr. ...

Mardi Gras

Celebrations begin early on Mardi Gras. Uptown, the Zulu parade rolls first, followed by the Rex parade, which both end on Canal Street. A number of smaller parading organizations with "truck floats" follow the Rex parade. Rex (founded 1872) is a New Orleans Carnival Krewe which stages the citys largest parade on Mardi Gras Day. ...

Numerous smaller parades and walking clubs also parade around the city. The Jefferson City Buzzards, the Lyons Club, Pete Fountain's Half Fast Walking Club and the KOE all start early in the day Uptown and make their way to the French Quarter with at least one jazz band. At the other end of the old city, the Society of Saint Anne journeys from the Bywater through Marigny and the French Quarter to meet Rex on Canal Street. The Pair-O-Dice Tumblers rambles from bar to bar in Marigny and the French Quarter from noon to dusk. Various groups of Mardi Gras Indians, divided into uptown and downtown tribes, parade in their finery. lOOKING IN THIS SITE, I FOUND THE AMOUNT OF WATER TO BE REMOVED FROM THE LAND THERE.. 339. ... Pete Fountain (born July 3, 1930) is a New Orleans clarinetist. ... The Half-Fast Walking Club is a New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe led by Pete Fountain. ... KOE (Krewe of Elvis) is a Mardi Gras parading organization that consists of members from around the world who meet in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... The Society of Saint Anne is a New Orleans Mardi Gras marching krewe that parades each Mardi Gras Day. ... Mardi Gras Indians gathering along Bayou St. ...

The end of each Mardi Gras

The formal end of Mardi Gras arrives with "the Meeting of the Courts," a term describing the ceremony at which Rex and His Royal Consort, the King and Queen of Carnival, meet with the King and Queen of the Mistick Krewe of Comus, New Orleans' oldest active Carnival organization. The Meeting of the Courts happens at the conclusion of the two groups' masked balls, which in modern times have both been held at New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium. In 2006, following Hurricane Katrina, the Final Ball was held in the Marriott Hotel. The Mistick Krewe of Comus (founded in 1856) is a New Orleans, Louisiana Carnival krewe. ...

Promptly at the stroke of midnight at the end of Fat Tuesday, a mounted squad of New Orleans police officers make a show of clearing upper Bourbon Street where the bulk of out-of-town revelers congregate, announcing that Mardi Gras is over, as it is the start of Lent. For other uses, see Midnight (disambiguation) Midnight, literally the middle of the night, is a time arbitrarily designated to determine the end of a day and the beginning of the next in some, mainly Western, cultures. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In Western Christianity, Lent...

Since Mardi Gras is observed by many New Orleanians who are not Roman Catholic, many non-Catholics also follow the customs of Lent after Mardi Gras, giving up certain pleasures such as chocolate or liquor. It is also considered inappropriate and disrespectful to wear Mardi Gras beads during Lent. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

Ash Wednesday, the day after Fat Tuesday, is sometimes jokingly referred to as "Trash Wednesday" because of the amount of refuse typically left in the streets by the previous day's celebrations. The tons of garbage picked up by the city sanitation department is a local news item and reflects the economic impact of each year's Mardi Gras. In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. ... Waste inside a wheelie bin Waste in a bin bag Waste, rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk is unwanted or undesired material. ...

Costumes and masks

Reveler, Mardi Gras morning in the Bywater neighborhood.

Costumes and masks are seldom publicly worn by non-Krewe members on the days before Fat Tuesday (other than at parties), but are frequently worn on Mardi Gras Day. Laws against concealing one's identity with a mask are suspended for the day. Banks are closed, and some businesses and other places with security concerns (such as convenience stores) post signs asking people to remove their masks before entering. Image File history File links Mardi Gras Fan Gal New Orleans Mardi Gras costumer. ... Image File history File links Mardi Gras Fan Gal New Orleans Mardi Gras costumer. ... The Bywater is a neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Papierkrattler masks at the Narrensprung 2005 Carnival parade, Ravensburg Germany A mask is a piece of material or kit, usually worn on the face. ... “Banker” redirects here. ...

Commercialization

Orleans Parish has laws prohibiting any form of commercial advertising on Carnival parades. Mardi Gras is a traditional holiday, so there is no such thing as an official Mardi Gras product or sponsor, any more than there can be, say, an official sponsor of Christmas. Nonetheless, many merchants sell so-called "official" merchandise to visiting tourists. Some individual krewes do, however, produce an official poster of their organization each year. New Orleans (French: Nouvelle-Orléans) is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Bold text This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...

The one exception to lack of official sponsorship was the 2006 Mardi Gras season. Due to budget problems following Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans offered the opportunity for four companies to become the first corporate sponsors of Mardi Gras. National media buying club MediaBuys.com was selected by the city to locate sponsors in a 30 day window. There was concern that without this drastic step the city government would lack funds to provide basic services for the parades. Glad was the only company to take the offer. In addition to its significant program commitment, Glad worked with the City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation in the carnival's sanitation maintenance and clean-up efforts, which would otherwise have mounted a considerable expense for the municipality. Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Glad is an American company specializing in trash bags and other plastic storage containers. ...

Beads

Inexpensive strings of beads and toys have been thrown from floats to parade-goers since at least the late 19th century. Until the 1960s, the most common form was multi-colored strings of glass beads made in Czechoslovakia. These were supplanted by less expensive and more durable plastic beads, first from Hong Kong, then from Taiwan, and more recently from China. Lower-cost beads and toys allow riders to purchase greater quantities, hence throws have become more numerous and common. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Glass can be made transparent and flat, or into other shapes and colors as shown in this sphere from the Verrerie of Brehat in Brittany. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the 1990s, many people lost interest in small, cheap beads, often leaving them where they landed on the ground. Larger, more elaborate metallic beads and strands with figures of animals, people, or other objects have become the sought-after throws. David Redmon's 2005 film, Mardi Gras: Made in China, follows the production and distribution of beads from a small factory in Fuzhou, China to the streets of New Orleans during Carnival. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chou; BUC: Hók-ciÅ­; EFEO: Fou-Tcheou; also seen as Foochow or Fuchow) is the provincial seat and the largest prefecture-level city of Fujian (福建) province, Peoples Republic of China. ...

Other Mardi Gras Traditions

Doubloons

One of the many Mardi Gras throws, doubloons are large coins, either plastic or metal, that are usually colored in the Mardi Gras colors, and are tossed into the crowd by the various Krewes. Although they have been around for many years, the current doubloons were introduced in 1960 by the Rex Krewe as a throw. These coins portray the Krewe's emblem, name, and founding date on one side, and the theme and year of the parade and ball on the other side. When they were introduced to the Rex Krewe in 1960, the Rex captain wasn't sure if the other members of the Krewe would like them; but between 1960 and 1970, 2.75 million doubloons were thrown by Rex. Original (1960) Rex Doubloons without a date are fairly valuable. The term doubloon (from Spanish doblón, meaning double) refers to a seven-gram (0. ...

The Flambeaux Carriers

The flambeaux ("flahm-bo" meaning flame-torch) was originally a carrier that served as a beacon for parade-goers to better enjoy the spectacle of night festivities. Now they are used in modern parades, not just to light the way but as an example of performance art.

The King Cake

The first week of January in New Orleans starts the King Cake season. King Cakes first appeared after 1872, when the Rex Krewe selected the Mardi Gras colors (purple, green and gold). The traditional King Cake is a coffee cake, and is oblong and braided. It is iced with a simple icing and covered with purple, green and gold sugar. Each cake contains a hidden bean or baby doll, and custom tells that whoever finds it must either buy the next King Cake or throw the next King Cake Party. One Mardi Gras organization uses the King Cake tradition to choose the queen of its annual ball. Hundreds of King Cake parties are thrown every year and hundreds of thousands of cakes are made, bought and eaten every year. Le gâteau des Rois, by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1774 (Musée Fabre) A king cake (sometimes rendered as kingcake) is a type of cake associated with Carnival traditions. ... Rex (founded 1872) is a New Orleans Carnival Krewe which stages the citys largest parade on Mardi Gras Day. ...

Mardi Gras Icons

• The Faces of Comedy and Drama
• Feathered Masks
• Fleur de Lis
• Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! (French: "Let the good times roll!")
• Throw me something, Mister!

The Zulu Mardi Gras Coconut

One of the most famous and the most sought after throws, is the Zulu Coconut, also known as the Golden Nugget, and the Mardi Gras Coconut. The coconut was mentioned as far back as 1910, where they were given in a natural "hairy" state. The coconut is a cheap alternative, especially in 1910 when the bead throws were made of glass. Before the Zulu Krewe threw their famous coconuts, they threw walnuts that were painted gold. This is where the name "Golden Nugget" originally came from. It is thought that Zulu switched from walnuts to coconuts in the early 1920's when Lloyd Lucus started to paint coconuts. Most of the coconuts have two decorations. The first is painted gold with added glitter, and the second is painted like the famous black Zulu faces. In 1988, the city banned Zulu from throwing coconuts due to the risk of injury; they are now handed to onlookers rather than thrown.

Nudity and the Mardi Gras

In the last decade of the 20th century, commercial videotapes catering to voyeurs helped encourage a tradition of baring breasts in exchange for beads and trinkets. Bottom view of VHS videotape cassette with magnetic tape exposed Videotape is a means of recording images and sound onto magnetic tape as opposed to movie film. ... Voyeurism is a practice in which an individual derives sexual pleasure from observing other people. ... okay that is all ...

While standards of what is considered "indecent exposure" might be relaxed during Mardi Gras, and women showing their breasts to encourage receiving beads is documented since the 1960s, the practice was mostly limited to tourists in the upper Bourbon Street area. Until recent years, New Orleans police tolerated women flashing their breasts in the French Quarter if the display did not cause public disruption, but would arrest people for more explicit nudity, particularly "below the waist". In the last couple of years, however, police have been cracking down on such actions, reasoning that flashing can incite acts of indecency against women who expose themselves. In the crowded streets of the French Quarter, flashers on balconies cause crowds to form on the streets, giving ample opportunity to pickpockets to victimize distracted and intoxicated gawkers. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Pickpocketing is a crime, a form of larceny which involves the stealing of money and valuables off the person of a victim without them noticing. ...

Outside of the French Quarter, attitudes are much less lenient. While many visiting tourists think of Mardi Gras as an "adult" holiday; for most local residents it is a time of family traditions; indeed, many view the parades mainly as sources of enjoyment for children. Many families with very young children gather along the parade routes Uptown and in Mid City. In these areas, nudity, public drunkenness and other bad behavior is discouraged and could lead to quick arrest.

Additional photographs

• Historic New Orleans Mardi Gras photographs c. 1900 - 1920
• Faubourg Marigny Mardi Gras costumes
• French Quarter Mardi Gras costumes

The Faubourg Marigny neigborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the most active on Mardi Gras Day, with many elaborate costumers strolling the streets. ... The French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana is the center of much of the citys Carnival celebrations, especially on Mardi Gras Day. ...

External links

• MardiGras.com Web site affiliated with New Orleans' Times-Picayune newspaper
• Mardi Gras New Orleans Emphasizes the family and traditional aspects
• New Orleans Gay Mardi Gras history
• Mardi Gras Costume Photos Photos of French Quarter costumers in recent years