King cake is a classic Mardi Gras dessert

Mardi Gras has inspired several songs

New Orleans is a historic music town—with deep-rooted jazz, R&B, and blues traditions, to name a few—so it's no surprise that its annual Carnival has led to more than a few Mardi Gras-themed songs through the decades. One of the most famous is Professor Longhair's 1959 track "Go to the Mardi Gras," an upbeat shuffle that's still played at parades today.

A Mardi Gras alternative takes place in southwest Louisiana

Courir de Mardi Gras, or Cajun Mardi Gras, harkens back to a medieval "feast of begging," when rural French people donned costumes (often mocking the aristocracy) and went from door to door, performing in exchange for gifts.

A taxonomy of Mardi Gras' many krewes

There's more than one kind of krewe in New Orleans. This handy guide breaks down some of the most famous (such as the Krewe of Zulu and the Krewe of Rex) and explains the differences between a "super krewe" and a "walking krewe."

Mardi Gras revelers on floats are required to wear masks

Masks are worn to encourage revellers to embrace their wild side without letting their identity get in the way. That's something New Orleans takes seriously: If you're riding on a Mardi Gras float, city law requires that you wear a mask.

The Rex krewe determines the king of Mardi Gras

Rex—which means "king" in Latin—was formed in 1872. In preparation for a visit from Russia's Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, city leaders worked to more formally organize the event to attract tourists. One of the changes they brought was selecting an annual Rex, or King of the Carnival.

Most Mardi Gras floats are constructed from foam and papier-mache

The moving sets were originally drawn by mules and made of wood. Now, they're motorized and intricately crafted from foam and papier-mache. This virtual tour of Mardi Gras World—a New Orleans warehouse responsible for floats for various krewes, as well as for Disney and Six Flags—showcases their vibrant designs.

Beads are social currency during Mardi Gras

Historians believe krewes started tossing small items, colloquially called "throws," to onlookers sometime in the 1870s or 1880s. Eventually, shiny beads became the norm and were usually given to those offering something in return. (At times, that meant free booze or the flashing of breasts.) The early strings of beads were glass, though by the 1960s most were plastic.

Pan de muerto is found on most ofrendas

The brioche-like bread is for both the living and the dead. It’s placed on altars for the spirits who return to enjoy, and families bake and eat it to honor the cycle of life and death.

The history behind New Orleans' drive-thru daiquiris

New Orleans attracts millions of annual visitors with its freewheeling drinking culture, reaching its apex during the weeks-long Mardi Gras celebration. But even the most intemperate tourists might be confused by the city's drive-through daiquiri stands. This resource offers a brief history of the quirky staple and explains how it has survived changes in the law.

The Zulu krewe's coconuts are highly coveted 'throws'

The long-running krewe is known for its finely decorated and highly sought-after coconuts, which it tosses from its floats. In 1987, the group faced lawsuits alleging injuries from its coconut tosses, but the state legislature responded with the "Coconut Bill," which freed the krewe from liability for such claims.

Eating fish during Lunar New Year is believed to bring prosperity

Many of the traditional Lunar New Year dishes are deeply symbolic—such as fried spring rolls resembling bars of gold. How the dishes are prepared, served, and eaten is crucial for carrying out their powers.

Cannes' Sainte-Marguerite was home to the 'Man in the Iron Mask'

Although his identity was never known, the man imprisoned under King Louis XIV and forced to wear a mask—reputedly made of iron, though likely to be velvet—was imprisoned on an island off the coast of Cannes.

Basquiat's crown appears throughout several works

The artist first used the crown in 1981’s "Red Kings," which placed crowns over two heads. He’d continue using the motif throughout his career, often to highlight important figures, many of them Black, whom he believed had been overlooked.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl ends with its mascot being eaten by the winning team

In one of college football’s quirkiest traditions, the Pop-Tarts Bowl concludes with the victorious players taking bites out of the giant Pop-Tart mascot.

'All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.'

- Musician George Harrison (1943–2001)

‘Compound chocolate’ lacks cocoa butter, making Advent calendar candy taste different

One of the fun aspects of the contemporary Advent calendar, making them irresistible to children, are the numerous little chocolates often tucked inside little paper flaps, marking each day leading to Christmas. That chocolate tastes different because it’s likely made from inexpensive fats like palm kernel oil, not cocoa butter.

A history of the Masters Champions' Dinner, an annual golf tradition

The Masters Champions' Dinner is an annual tradition celebrated the Tuesday before the tournament begins. The previous year's champion sets the menu, leading to a history of eclectic meals. This resource from Today's Golfer provides a brief history of the tradition and then details every menu since 1986. It's an interesting window into the tastes of professional athletes (Tiger Woods, apparently, loves chicken fingers!) and the less-than-healthy habits from the sport's past.

Ancient Rome had an early version of macaroni and cheese

Called placenta (with a hard "c"), the holiday dish consisted of sheets of rolled-out dough layered with cheese. It is the first recipe documenting the combination of the two elements. While there is debate about whether the dough can be called pasta because it's not boiled, many scholars view the dish as a proto-lasagna.

Kulfi, an ice cream predecessor, dates back to the 16th century

Historians believe India’s royal court began freezing condensed milk, pistachios, and saffron in conical molds to create the sweet treat. Today, it’s often served on a stick and covered with chopped pistachios.

Ancient Egyptians played Senet, a board game where players threw sticks or bones as dice.

Dutch immigrants to America brought 'Sinterklaas,' a tradition of gift-giving to children

Dutch settlers brought Sinterklaas—their tradition of celebrating Saint Nicholas on Dec. 6 with gifts for children—to 17th-century New Amsterdam (now New York), where American culture eventually reimagined the bishop into our modern portrayal of Santa Claus.

The history and success of the mysterious Mars Inc.

Mars, Incorporated manufactures some of the world’s favorite treats, including M&M’s, Snickers, and Milky Way bars. Despite their success, you’ve probably not heard of them. The privately held company is largely unknown to the world despite being owned by the second-richest family in the US. This podcast discusses the mysterious Mars family and their remarkable entrepreneurial feat. Listen to uncover more.

It took 70 years for computer scientists to determine how to cut a cake fairly

The cake-cutting problem explores how to divide something fairly, which is not solely about cutting evenly-sized pieces. A protocol that accounted for personal preferences (e.g., a corner piece) between just three people took 16 years to develop.

Civet coffee is some of the most expensive (and bizarre) coffee in the world

Known colloquially as "cat poo coffee," the style is made from beans that have been consumed and then excreted by the Asian palm civet, a small mammal related to the mongoose. Coffee made from these beans is said to be smooth and complex, with notes of chocolate.

Creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day took 15 years of political advocacy

After Dr. King’s assassination, activists—including his wife Coretta Scott King—spent 15 years pushing Congress to create a federal holiday in his honor, facing repeated resistance before it was finally signed into law in 1983.

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

The Mona Lisa's celebrity status and repeated restorations have obscured what made the painting so revolutionary for its time

Watch a 1934 short film starring jazz legend Cab Calloway, a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance's music scene

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

Scientists have struggled to pin down Ebola's natural reservoir species for decades, but the available evidence suggests that it's very likely fruit and insect-eating bats found in Africa.

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.

Exploring the Larry Bird punch that almost changed March Madness

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

El Niño, Spanish for 'the boy,' was named after Jesus Christ because the phenomenon resembled the weather changes observed around Christmastime.

The Great Salt Lake's distinct dual coloration results from high-salinity organisms that only live in the northern portion and produce a purple protein.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

See photos of Meteora, a mountainous site in central Greece, home to 14th-century monasteries perched atop soaring outcroppings.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

Fireworks make a loud booming sound after exploding due to air expanding faster than the speed of sound.