"Mardi Gras!!!!!" New Orleans Travelogue by Jmill42

The history of Mardi Gras began in ancient Rome. In mid February the ancient Romans celebrated a circus like festival called "Lupercalia." When Rome embraced Christianity, early leaders of the Church thought it better to incorporate certain aspects of celebration's rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. Carnival became a period of partying with reckless abandon and preceded the penance of Lent, thus giving a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom.

Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 with the French explorer Iberville. Mardi Gras had been celebrated as a major holiday in Paris since the Middle Ages. Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi River. On March 3, 1699 Iberville set up camp about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is today. This was the day Mardi Gras was being celebrated in France. And so began the first Mardi Gras in the US!

Floats!!!

I've been to the last 5 Mardi Gras' in New Orleans. I can't say that I remember all parts of some of them, or some parts of all of them, but what I would like to tell you are the best parades to attend. These are my biased choices, but I will promise that any of these parades will knock your socks off!

Here are the dates of Mardi Gras for the next few years... Start making your plans people!!!


2003 March 4
2004 February 24
2005 February 8
2006 February 28
2007 February 20
2008 February 5
2009 February 24
2010 February 16
2011 March 8
2012 February 21
2013 February 12
2014 March 4
2015 February 17
2016 February 9
2017 February 26
2018 February 13
2019 March 5
2020 February 25

Cool facts from past years: In 1997 city officials reported 946 tons of garbage during Carnival and 1.5 million people. In '98 the garbage dropped to about 800 tons, but crowds rose to 1.8 million. Garbage in '99=932 tons, '00=1,230 tons, '01=1,520 tons, "02=1,300 tons! During that three-year span, the estimated attendance remained relatively stable around 2 million.

Tucks Parade Route

Saturday March 1st
Uptown 1:00 pm

Endymion's Parade Route

Saturday March 1st
Mid City 4:15 pm

Bacchus' Parade Route

Sunday, March 2, 2003
Mid-City 5:15

Past estimates of people just on Bourbon St ALONE have been over 500,000!! Claustrophobia is not a good thing to have when you visit during Mardi Gras.

Please people... Don't be this guy!

For those of you who have been living in a hole all your life and don't know about the traditions of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, listen up! The biggest tradition, aside from the parades, is the showing of skin for "priceless" beads. In actuality, the beads cost about $0.15. What happens might be confusing to the normal, sane individual watching how one goes about gaining these trinkets of tantilizing twinkle. Women, men, and anything in between will show any part of their body to "win" the prize. Remember... 15 cents. Apparently the size of the beads directly correlates with the level of suspected beauty of the underlying "goods". I personally have never partaken in any such activity.... I just heard about it from a guy's brother's friend I once new.

I think the beads weigh more than the kid!

Some of the smaller parades are very good family-type events. Without the overabundance of really drunk people, it can be a very enjoyable event for all ages.