Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/6608
Swirling around in a circus of color, chaos, drunkenness and delight, few parties in the world compare to the celebration of "Carnival", New Orleans' biggest celebration of the year that culminates in the excitement of "Fat Tuesday"---better known as Mardi Gras. Everywhere you look, you're surrounded by madness. Aromas of deep-fried heaven mix with the earthly stench of street trash and booze as you shuffle your way through Bourbon Street, a Mecca of sin and celebration for tourists and locals alike. Meanwhile, parades of elaborate floats sail through the streets of Uptown and Mid-City as festival-goers chase down bright colored beads, doubloons, stuffed animals and coconuts on Charles Avenue and Canal Street. Standing sweat- drenched in the middle of the French Quarter, words and descriptions fail to describe the party that converges in the heart of this historical city. While this is the scene that so many plan to experience on the Christian feast day before the season of Lent, the traditions and parties associated with Mardi Gras and the month long celebration of Carnival are embedded into the fiber of New Orleans in a very sacred to the those who live there year- round. Most of the symbols of Mardi Gras seen today, began in 1857 with lines of parades followed by private, formal balls. One of the most emblematic aspects of Mardi Gras are the floats and their creators, the private organizations, called "Krewes", that prepare the floats and funnel money into prime social events during what is often referred to as "Carnival Season". In New Orleans, that season begins Jan. 6 and ends on the day before Ash Wednesday (usually Feb. 16), with the Catholic celebration Lent, a religious season that involves giving up meat completely or on Fridays as well as forgoing other habits or vices until Easter Sunday. So if folks are preparing to give up some of life's joys, they might as well live it up first. Pulled by trucks, tractors or just about anything with wheels and a motor, Mardi Gras floats brim with lights, excitement and costumed Krewe members tossing out treasures to those Mardi ras G willing to make some enough noise or show enough skin to get noticed. We suggest you try yelling the traditional Mardi Gras phrase "Hey Mister, throw me something!" That usually works just fine. Beginning with the Krewe du Vieux on Jan. 30 in the French Quarter, multiple parades surge through the streets (usually Uptown or in the West Bank area) with as many as seven going simultaneously at different locations, each represented by a different Krewe. For those looking to breeze into town closer to "Fat Tuesday", the weekend before Mardi Gras is prime time for the Carnival, as the massive parades for the Krewes of Bacchus and Endymion roll down the streets of Uptown and Mid- City respectively, creating the biggest frenzy of the season. And what would a celebration called "Fat Tuesday" be without food? Most recognizable in the realm of traditional, carb-heavy treats is the King Cake. As a symbol of the Christian faith, this Danish-like pastry represents the coming of the Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus Christ, an event usually celebrated 12 days after Christmas. Decorated with everything from fruit to icing and sugar toppings, each cake is hiding a plastic or sometimes porcelain or gold baby replica of Jesus in the dough. Most cakes usually sport the Mardi Gras colors of Purple (representing justice), Green (representing faith) and Gold (representing power). However, to generations of New Orleans natives, who grew up with this celebration, Carnival and Mardi Gras represent a part of the soul of the city---even in the face of economic hardship or natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina that in 2005 desecrated dense pockets of the city, including the French Quarter. The festival season was downplayed that year, but certainly not forgotten. Now, five years later, New Orleans' economy reels from financial strains that led to the cut backs of Mardi Gras staples like parade stands for audiences to watch the action. However, New Orleans is continuing its traditions of entertaining chaos that is and will always be known as "The Best Free Show in the World." Writer>>Nate JacksoN