Mardi Gras

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Mardi Gras

• Contest

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• Who officially runs Mardi Gras in New Orleans?

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• Mardi Gras is a HOLIDAY, like Christmas. Or
  Halloween. Anyone can create Mardi Gras events.
  But the best parts of Mardi Gras are free ...

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• All parades probably the most recognizable
  element of Carnival are held on public streets.
  
• There are no ticket booths to enter the French
  Quarter (although an age restriction would
  probably be a good idea).

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• What are the official dates for Mardi Gras?

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• It is a common misperception that Mardi Gras is
  the start of a couple of weeks of parading and
  heavy partying. Thats backward!
• Mardi Gras is the END, the last day of the
  partying.

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• Whats the difference between Carnival and Mardi
  Gras?

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• The Carnival season officially begins on Jan. 6th
  and continues until midnight of Fat Tuesday
  (Mardi Gras).
• But  Mardi Gras  is also commonly used to refer
  to the whole Carnival season.
• Carnival (carne vale) is Latin for goodbye
  meat, i.e. no meat during the 40 days of Lent.

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• New Orleans, this historically Roman Catholic
  city, which loves its food and drink more than
  normal, prepares for the pre-Easter Lent season
  by partying until the last minute.

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• How early in the year can Mardi Gras be and how
  late?

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• Backed up 47 days before Easter, Mardi Gras can
  occur as early as Feb. 3 and as late as March 9.

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• Why do some people say that the period of Lent
  before Easter lasts 47 days and others say that
  it lasts 40 days?

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• Because in the 40 day period Sundays, Good Friday
  and the Saturday before Easter are not included.

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• Is there a lot of nudity during Mardi Gras in New
  Orleans?

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• That depends on your definition of a lot. 
  Most of all, it depends on where youre standing.
  
• There is certainly SOME nudity during Mardi Gras.
  In general, it occurs within the French Quarter.

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• In most places in the city, you are unlikely to
  see any nudity at all and if you do, you are
  likely to see the exposed person in handcuffs a
  short time later.

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• Did Mobile, Alabama, or New Orleans have the
  first Mardi Gras?

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• Neither !!!
• Carnival / Mardi Gras is a European import,
  celebrated long before Columbus.

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• In fact, long before Europe was Christianized,
  Carnival was a pagan bacchanalia of drinking and
  debauchery which hasnt changed much.
• Much of Catholic Europe celebrates Carnival under
  one name or another, again as a season of
  partying before Lent.

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• Is it true that Mardi Gras is really a pagan
  holiday?

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• There is no doubt that the period of celebration
  that we call Carnival has roots in pagan
  end-of-winter and beginning-of-spring rituals
  reaching back thousands of years.
• These festivals existed across most lands that
  were overtaken by the Christian Church.

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• Whats the drinking age in New Orleans?

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• Despite rumors to the contrary, and the number of
  youngsters who manage to obtain alcohol, the
  drinking age in New Orleans is 21.

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• Whats the best way to get colored beads?

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• The best way to get beads free is to attend Mardi
  Gras parades.
• Each float rider has to provide his own
   throws , mostly thousands of green, purple and
  gold beads.

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• What do the colors purple, green and gold mean?

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• Purple is for justice,
• Green for faith and
• Gold for power.