Mardi Gras

What stood out: Mardi Gras blends pagan celebrations with Christian traditions, with roots in ancient Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Lupercalia. Rather than abandoning these traditions, Catholic leaders in Rome incorporated their spirit into a celebration that would expel citizens’ debauchery in preparation for the sacrifices they’d endure during the Lenten season. Around the world, this holiday season is called Carnival, though the New Orleans version is usually called Mardi Gras.

What stood out: Mardi Gras might be associated with New Orleans, but cities across the globe also celebrate Carnival with similar festivities. This list breaks down nine of the most popular, including masquerade balls in Venice, Creole celebrations in Cape Verde, and the Battle of the Flowers in France.

What stood out: ‘Mardi Gras’ is French for “Fat Tuesday.” “Fat Tuesday” earned its name because it was seen as the last opportunity to indulge before fasting on Ash Wednesday and sacrificing throughout Lent. Interestingly, “Carnival,” the name for the season leading up to Mardi Gras, comes from the Latin for “removal of meat.”

What stood out: Tulane University’s Toni Weiss found that the event generated approximately $891M for the local economy in 2023. Weiss also found that the money that the city spent about $10M on the parade (for security, sanitation, and more) but earned a net fiscal benefit of $28M.

What stood out: The first recorded American Mardi Gras was in Alabama. French explorers observed celebrations in what would become the United States in the late 1600s, but the first recognized modern American Mardi Gras took place in Mobile, Alabama, on New Year’s Eve, running from 1830 into 1831. By 1840, the town had incorporated costumes, masks, and themes into its parade. After the Civil War, Mobile’s Mardi Gras was moved to the more traditional date of Fat Tuesday. By 1850, a group from Mobile migrated to New Orleans, bringing the city’s traditions with it.

What stood out: New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration is driven by autonomous 'krewes.' A city ordinance prohibits commercial advertising, and the parade has no central coordinator. Instead, its many activities are organized by individual “krewes”—private clubs of dues-paying members who construct and ride the parades’ many colorful floats. The spelling is a faux Old English form of the word “crew,” taken from the Mistick Krewe of Comus, who used the stylized language ironically.

What stood out: 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.”

What stood out: 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 the selection of an annual Rex, or King of the Carnival.

What stood out: The moving sets were originally drawn by mules and made of wood, but 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.

What stood out: 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.