For many visitors to New Orleans, their Mardi Gras experience involves packing bars in the French Quarter, drinks in hand, getting beads a certain way, and it’s a loud, wild, and slightly out-of-control day before Ash Wednesday.
But miles away from the French Quarter, there is a different scene unfolding. Children are perched on decorated ladders, waiting for throwers on floats to reward them with trinkets. Behind them are their family members, who are often in the same spot where they grew up watching the parades. They are (likely) all surrounded by someone cooking on the grill, food, music, lawn chairs, and a rented personal porta-potty (because bathroom logistics are important).
This — locals will tell you — is Mardi Gras.
“Most tourists come down on Mardi Gras and believe it’s all about getting intoxicated, while hanging out on Bourbon or Canal Streets,” Oscar Rainey, president of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc, tells Travel Noire. “Mardi Gras is a family-friendly event for everyone to get out and have a good time.”
The truth is, for families, Mardi Gras Day, commonly known as Fat Tuesday, marks the end of a long parade season. For visitors, a rookie mistake is thinking that Mardi Gras is only one day.
Mardi Gras Is More Than A Single Day
Treating Mardi Gras as a one-day celebration is like showing up for the last five minutes of a movie or play, and then claiming you understand the story. Mardi Gras is New Orleans’ Carnival Season. It’s a time filled with parades, costumes, and deep-rooted traditions.
New Orleans’ Carnival season begins on Twelfth Night, on January 6, the Christian holy day of the Epiphany. The season kicks off with its own parade and stretches for weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday. It represents the time of celebration before the Christian Lent.
Christmas trees and lights transform into Mardi Gras trees and decorations with the official Mardi Gras colors of green, gold, and purple. Now is the special time to indulge in King Cake. Parades are happening every weekend as Mardi Gras Day approaches, and truthfully, many businesses and schools will alter their schedules around the Carnival season to partake in the fun.
It’s Not About Alcohol Or Getting Beads In An Obnoxious Way
Public intoxication, embarrassingly flashing for beads, and stumbling drunk down the French Quarter are all visitor misconceptions about Mardi Gras. For many locals, Mardi Gras marks a season rooted in family traditions, such as gathering year after year in the same spots along parade routes where the family has posted up for decades. Days before the big parades hosted by Mardi Gras krewes, families will devise a plan that often involves a can of spray paint, caution tape, tents, and decorated ladders for children to mark their territory.
Krewes are the heart of Mardi Gras celebrations. These Carnival clubs are often chartered as non-profit organizations with unique histories, traditions, and membership structures. Some are exclusively men’s or women’s organizations. Others welcome everyone. Krewe parades are known for their creative themes, which change each year. These krewes are often inspired by history, mythology, current events, or entertainment.
Major Krewes and their parade days include the Krewe of Muses, an all-women group that throws a coveted hand-painted shoe. The organization’s parade is held on a Thursday. With 3,000 riders, the Krewe of Endymion is one of three super krewes and claims to be the largest parade with the biggest crowd. The Krewe hosts a nighttime parade known for its extravagant floats. Endymion’s parade is held on a Saturday.
Krewe of Bacchus is known for its celebrity monarch and extravagant super-floats. It’s another nighttime parade held on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. Then, there is the distinguished Krewe of Zulu. This historic krewe is one of the oldest Black krewes, famous for its iconic Mardi Gras parade and coveted hand-decorated coconuts. Zulu’s parade is held on Mardi Gras Day.
A Deeper Meaning
Mardi Gras reflects the city’s diversity and its history. It blends African, Caribbean, French, and American influences, including solemn traditions such as the Mardi Gras Indians.
Mardi Gras Indians are a unique and historic Black subculture of New Orleans. Their traditions date back to the 1800s, when Native Americans helped to shield runaway slaves. Mardi Gras Indians are influenced both by ancestral enslaved Africans and the friendships forged with Native Americans. You will find them parading on foot on Mardi Gras Day, debuting elaborate, intricate handmade suits.
Another tradition that has drawn criticism from outsiders is the Krewe of Zulu’s Black makeup. It’s a tradition dating back to the early 1900s and a statement against racism. Historically, Black people were not permitted to participate in Mardi Gras, let alone a krewe. The Zulu club was founded in response to racism and segregation.
“Back in those times, New Orleans had an ordinance that in order to parade in Mardi Gras, you had to have on a mask,” said Rainey. “African Americans couldn’t afford to purchase mask and the men at that time used Black makeup, which sufficed as a mask. We still use that tradition today, which is unique.”
Rainey cautions visitors to learn the meaning and history behind local customs before visiting.
Experience Mardi Gras The Right Way
Mardi Gras is also a celebration of survivals in a city that has endured so much, including natural disasters such as hurricanes and economic hardship. For New Orleans residents, Mardi Gras is one of the ways the city comes together to celebrate the fact that they are still here.
Challenge yourself to go to a different parade or location on the parade route outside the French Quarter. Just remember to be mindful of local families. Ask if it’s okay to stand near their coveted locations.
Also, check out other parades, including the Mardi Gras truck parades, which are unique, family-friendly processions featuring decorated trucks (often semis) instead of traditional floats. Celebrate the many high school bands that are the soul and energy of Mardi Gras parades, and iconic parts of the celebration.
Most importantly, be curious and not entitled. After all, the New Orleans Carnival and Mardi Gras season is not a theme park but a coveted tradition among locals. Pack a lawn chair with a cup holder. Don’t forget a reusable bag to carry what you catch from the parades.
Pro Tip: Keep up with the Mardi Gras parade schedule. Also, download a local news parade tracker from local news stations. This helps with logistical updates, including traffic.
