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• Mardi Gras is a city-wide party held in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the last day before Lent each year, and attended by visitors from all over the world. The parade, dances and festival blend French, African, Caribbean, Cajun, Native American and Roman Catholic cultural rituals to celebrate the city's music and diversity.

• Fast Facts

  1. Mardi Gras 2010: February 16
  2. Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in FrenchAt New Orleans: Mardi Gras
  3. The name Fat Tuesday refers to its being the last day before fasting for Lent begins
  4. Parades begin approximately two weeks before Mardi Gras, when the main parades and festivals are held
  5. Organization: Secret autonomous social clubs called krewes plan, pay for and manage the balls and paradesNovaReinna: Krewes
  6. First historic mention: 1699Carnaval: Mardi Gras Myth and History
  7. First parade: 1837
  8. First African-American participation: Zulu Krewe, 1909Carnaval: Mardi Gras Myth and History
  9. First female participation: Krewe of Venus, 1941NovaReinna: Krewes
  10. Colors: The colors of Mardi Gras are Purple, Gold, and Green

• History

  The Mardi Gras celebration was brought to the New World in 1699 by French settlers, who based the festival on European religious festivals. Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, a pre-Lenten festival celebrated in New Orleans between January 6 (Epiphany) and Ash Wednesday. Related festivals around the world include Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, and various Mardi Gras celebrations throughout the world. NovaReinna: Krewes Carnaval: Mardi Gras Myth and History

• Organization

  Mardi Gras parties, parades and balls are all organized by autonomous social groups called krewes. Krewe members stage parades and build costumes and floats for them, and hold masked balls and tableaux balls in which people act out scenes of history or adventure. Celebrities associated with Mardi Gras include Pete Fountain, Harry Connick, Jr. and Wynton Marsalis.NovaReinna: Krewes

• Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina

  In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and severely depressed attendance. Modern pre-Katrina attendance records were estimated at between 1-3 million visitors. Approximately 350,000 visitors attended in 2006.; Since then attendance has recovered more quickly than the city as a whole.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  New Orleans | Louisiana | Fat Tuesday | Lent | King Cake | Ash Wednesday | Mardi Gras 2008 | Mardi Gras Video | Mardi Gras San Diego | Mardi Gras Shooting | Betto Almeida

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