what, where, and when of mardi gras?

Question

can someone tell me in details what mardi gras is and when and where it's celebrated!!!

Answer 1

Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is also called "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Day". It is the final day of Carnival (English:IPA: [kaɹnɨvəl] and Romance languages:IPA: [karnaval]). It is a celebration that is held just before the beginning of the Christian liturgical season of Lent.

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Mardi gras date changes year to year. Depends on when Easter is. Usually feb - march.

its celebrated all over. I know in my city, we have the only mardi gras parade in California. But for the US, its the southern states that are popular... mostly New Orleans.

Answer 2

New Orleans
February

Countdown to Mardi Gras 2007
Tuesday, February 20th

197 days 10 hours 28 minutes and 57 seconds

Answer 3

It's celebrated all over the Southern states in various areas but if you want to truly celebrate it you have to go to New Orleans. The last day of Mardi Gras is called Fat Tuesday. It is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday at midnight the party's over. If you can make it to New Orleans the Thursday before Fat Tuesday and stay till Wednesday you will have a great time!

Answer 4

Although Mardi Gras is celebrated around the world, no one can nor will EVER be able to do it like New Orleans -- the City that Care Forgot (good to party in but, not good enough to help the REAL people who made New Orlean what it's known for)! Although imitated, but can NEVER-EVER be duplicated. Mardi Gras is something you can't really explain. It's something you have to live for yourself. DON'T forget to enjoy a couple of HURRICANES (I sure will - LOL).

Answer 5

I have celebrated Mardi Gras in several southern cities.The best & biggest in the States is New Orleans, LA Then comes:
Galveston, TX
Mobile,Alabama
Port Arthur,TX
BrouxBridge(spelling), LA
up river in Jefferson, Tx
Keemah, TX
Louisville, KY
Most unique tradition to Mardi Gras- catching beads thrown by crewe members on the floats in the parades.
Biggest rule of MardiGras-Step on beads that hit the ground- reaching for them with your hands will get your fingers broke!

Answer 6

mardi gras was originated in mobile alabama. A man by the name Joe Cain came up with it. they have Joe Cain day the day before mardi gras in mobile alabama. mardi gras is also celebrated in other cities, but new orleans and mobile alabama is where you need to go for mardi gras. mardi gras is parades of floats and they throw beads and cups and they also have bands. it is basically a 2 week party. in new orleans, basically anything goes. it is a holiday that has no rules.

Answer 7

Depends what country you are talking about. In some countries I think it's a general celebration of ... uh... culture and music. In Australia Mardi Gras is a huge gay pride parade (and rapidly becoming a 'sexuality pride' parade which is really cool). So you might want to be more specific! Also, type it into Wikipedia and have a look at the different kinds of MardiGras in different countries!

Answer 8

the mardi gras in the us is celebrated in different states but the one most ppl kno more about is in new orleans,la usually celebrated durring feb. the exact date is never the same but its either the second or third tuesday in feb. and its the day before ash wednesday. there are other carnival's celebrated around the world. the one in new orleans is most known for what is seen on television which happens to be cheep beads, drunken tourist, and boobs. what we locals kno it for are the zulu coconuts, debloons, the baccus, the endemion, and the zulu parades, if your lucky a day off of work or school, watchin the st. aug. marching band, and looking for your school's cheerleaders, majorettes, and/or marching band

Answer 9

Here


New Orleans
Main article: New Orleans Mardi Gras

Costumed musicians, French Quarter, New OrleansNew Orleans Mardi Gras is particularly well-known, often called "the greatest free show on earth". The celebrations draw many tourists to the city in addition to the celebrating locals for the parties and parades. Most tourists can be found within the French Quarter, especially Bourbon Street.

Mardi Gras came to New Orleans with the earliest French settlers. New Orleans developed new traditions, including Krewes such as the Krewe du Vieux, the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, and the famous Rex parade, in addition to Mardi Gras Indians and king cake parties.

There are as many as 60 Krewes that have parades in the greater New Orleans area. Officially, the Mardi Gras season, more properly called Carnival, starts at the end of the twelfth day of Christmas. Most parades, balls and other festivities occur on weeknights and weekends in the 2-week period before Mardi Gras Day. Though each parade is unique, there are certain common ingredients: 1) either a King or Queen who reigns over the parade, picked from the Krewe membership; 2) gaily colored floats, ridden by Krewe members, who throw various items, including bead necklaces (beads), doubloons with the Krewe emblem and often, that year's parade's theme, and assorted other fun items; 3) marching bands, usually from high schools and universities, but often other invited guest bands.

Particularly since the inception of the larger parade organizations (sometimes called "super krewes") such as Bacchus and Endymion, it has become fashionable to invite Hollywood and other celebrities to act as Grand Marshals for parades.


Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana is home to a large Mardi Gras celebration. It is generally a family-oriented event lacking the perceived decadence of its New Orleans cousin. Lafayette is geographically the heart of Cajun Country, and as such draws Cajuns and Creoles from all of the surrounding area to participate in Mardi Gras festivities. Hollywood celebrities have served as Grand Marshals. Visitors enjoy the Cajun hospitality and cuisine. Lafayette's population is approximately 90% Catholic which contributes to the popularity of Mardi Gras.


Elsewhere in Louisiana
Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in Louisiana. Other places in the New Orleans metropolitan area also have celebrations; notably the suburbs of Metairie, La Place and Chalmette has large parades. Without the restrictions on commercial ties to parades of Orleans Parish, there is much advertising and trademark placements on the parades in Metairie. Metairie parades also tend to be more family-oriented, and include even a Children's parade. Baton Rouge also has several parades.

Houma, Louisiana hosts a significant Mardi Gras celebration.

In parts of the Cajun country of southwestern Louisiana, the traditional Courir du Mardi Gras (French - Running of the Mardi Gras) is still run, sometimes by maskers on horseback led by "Le Capitaine" who gather ingredients for making the communal meal (usually a gumbo). The townspeople will gather in costume and move from home to home requesting ingredients for the night's meal. The requested homeowner may comply with their wishes, usually by giving some form of vegetable or live animal, such as a chicken or pig, to the members of the run. The homeowner will often release the animal and make the runners catch it. In many cases, if the homeowner refuses to give an ingredient, the runners will steal one. These Courir can be witnessed in Church Point, Louisiana, Eunice, Mamou, Louisiana, Ville Platte, and Elton, Louisiana. The costumes used in these events are often homemade, employing sheets, paints, and frequently masks of wire mesh, as well as traditional conical hats known as capuchons.

Many small towns and cities throughout southern Louisiana have Mardi Gras parades in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras day, and particularly on that day.

There are also Mardi Gras parades in Northern Louisiana in Shreveport, Louisiana by the Krewe of Centaur and the Krewe of Gemini and in Monroe and West Monroe by the Krewe of Janus. Lake Charles, in southwest Louisiana, hosts a Krewe of Krewes parade, which is the second largest parade in the state. It also hosts parades for children and even pets.

Alexandria also celebrates with parades and days of celebration.

Mardi Gras is one of only three exceptions to the Louisiana law against wearing hoods and masks in public, the other two being Halloween and religious beliefs.

Traditional Mardi Gras' in Louisiana generally do not throw moon pies as found in Alabama Mardi Gras celebrations.

Answer 10

"fat tuesday" is celebrated the day before Lent> In New Orleans, Louisana> It symbolizes eating alot and partying before the christian time of lent which is observed for 40 days and you aren't allowed to eat meat on fridays and such. Many christians also have a tradition of "fasting" from a certain "good". "fat tuesday" is the last time to go all out!!