Guide Note

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 2009: February 24
2. Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French
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. Income: Pre-Hurricane Katrina revenues for New Orleans were estimated as close to half-billion US dollars each year
6. Organization: Secret autonomous social clubs called krewes plan, pay for and manage the balls and parades
7. First historic mention: 1699
8. First parade: 1837
9. First African-American participation: Zulu Krewe, 1909
10. First female participation: Krewe of Venus, 1941

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 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, and various Mardi Gras celebrations throughout the world.

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.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the main parade route on Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue and severely depressed attendance. Modern pre-Katrina attendance records were estimated at between 1-3 million visitors. Approximately 350,000 visitors attended in 2006; and about 800,000 in 2007. Mardi Gras 2008 was held concurrently with the American presidential race Super Tuesday, and attendance was disappointing.