12. Tune in to Mardi Gras for All Y'all: Get a piece of some NOLA Mardi Gras magic by tuning into to this three-day virtual event from 9 p.m. ET Feb. 12 through 11 p.m. Feb. 14. The event will feature artists, chefs and personalities at famous NOLA spots including Mardi Gras World (where the floats are created), Antoine's, Dookie Chase's and more. Mardi Gras Indians may be one of the most mysterious aspects of New Orleans Mardi Gras, particularly for visitors to the city. Tribes were formed by African American communities who were excluded from traditional parades and krewes, and they typically poke fun at krewe royalty and governing structures. Your Mardi Gras menu should incorporate a variety of classic dishes that are traditionally eaten during the Carnival season. Red beans and rice, jambalaya, hot muffuletta dip, and gumbo are all great choices for your at-home Mardi Gras celebration. And for dessert, fry up some delicious beignets. Have a fun Mardi Gras at home! No collection of Mardi Gras recipes would be complete without sweets, like our Praline-Cream Cheese King Cake or King Cake Beignets. Take a look through our recipes for best Fat Tuesday recipes and start planning your menu—there'll be something for everyone at this Mardi Gras feast. Take a virtual tour of Mardi Gras World. More than 80 percent of the floats that take to New Orleans’ streets during the annual Mardi Gras festivities are designed and built inside the facility at Mardi Gras World. Get a behind-the-scenes look at a Mardi Gras tradition with a virtual tour of the enormous float-filled warehouse. (Tip: Put on String green, purple, and gold beads to create Mardi Gras necklaces or bracelets. I find this activity works well for Memory Care. Host a Mardi Gras potluck or cooking contest for staff. Invite a local celebrity to come in and serve as the judge. Rent a photo booth and capture photos of residents and staff dressed in their Mardi Gras finery. Regardless, the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, a culturally diverse port city with centuries of history, has taken on its own unique traditions, imbuing it with tons of local flavor. Speaking of, if you want something savory to go with that king cake, peruse our recipes for favorite Mardi Gras foods (think jambalaya, boudin balls, and Let the good times roll (laissez les bon temps rouler) with this ultimate collection of 27 Traditional and Classic Mardi Gras Recipes and Menu Ideas for 2025!. From Cajun and Creole-inspired dishes to iconic New Orleans favorites, these recipes are perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday whether you’re soaking up the festivities in New Orleans or bringing the party to your own home. Come Mardi Gras, king cake reigns above all else. "Better than bakery's! Living and eating in New Orleans for my entire life I was a bit skeptical if I could actually pull off a king cake," writes New Orleans local and home cook Laur5270, who recommends omitting the raisins to make the recipe more traditional. The Meaning Behind King Cake While you might be celebrating at home with a crew of 3-4, New Orleans takes Mardi Gras so seriously social organizations called "krewes" plan for an entire year to put on their parades and balls. A Mardi Gras reveler dangles a pair of beads off of a balcony on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day, Feb 13, 2013. Fat Tuesday, the traditional celebration on the day before Ash The origins of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras traces its roots to ancient Roman festivals like Saturnalia, which involved feasting and revelry. With the advent of Christianity, these traditions were adapted into Carnival—a period of indulgence before the austerity of Lent. Mardi Gras specifically refers to the day before Ash Wednesday, when people What are the real origins of Mardi Gras, and how have its Mardi Gras traditions changed over the years? Let's look a little more closely at the history of Mardi Gras and the customs that make it such a rich and colorful celebration. The Origins of Mardi Gras. To grasp Mardi Gras, we must first go back in time and learn about its history. Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. It's most famously celebrated with parades in New Orleans Not Just New Orleans: While New Orleans hosts the most famous Mardi Gras celebration, cities like Mobile, Alabama, and St. Louis, Missouri, also have long-standing Mardi Gras traditions. The World’s Largest Free Party: Mardi Gras in New Orleans is often called the “greatest free show on Earth,” with parades and events open to all. Compared to mainstream parades, the bawdy Krewe du Vieux offers a more hands-on, participatory experience akin to do-it-yourself performance art, with various “sub-krewes” each presenting a unique take on an overarching theme intended to inspire satire and social commentary. The celebration of Mardi Gras has been a part of cultures for centuries. French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent a 40-day period of While most people think of parades when they think of Mardi Gras, there are plenty of other traditions too. The King and Queen of each krewe work all year long for the big, spectacular ball. Their identity is a closely guarded secret and part of the mystique until the night of the Ball. Some of those traditions include the Black Masking Indians, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, which is an actual parading group. They ride on floats and have throws. And we also have the Northside Skull and Bones Group, which is a skeleton group. They are the first in Black Mardi Gras traditions to come out on Mardi Gras day. First-timers tend to gravitate towards Bourbon and Canal Street, but if you want to be where the locals are (and trust me, you probably do) head Uptown. It’s just as festive but often much more tame and family-friendly. Most parades in Uptown stroll down St. Charles Avenue, so try to find a spot
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