Mardi Gras

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.

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

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

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.

• • Mahalo's Guide to New Orleans Hotels | Restaurants | Tours | Vacations
• eHow: How to Find Mardi Gras Travel Packages
• Yahoo! Travel: Mardi Gras, New Orleans Travel Guide
• Budget Travel: Mardi Gras: Still America's Biggest Party (February 6, 2007)
• Mardi Gras Digest: Mardi Gras Travel