The document describes the history and traditions of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans. It explains that Mardi Gras originated as a pagan spring festival that was later combined with Christian traditions. In New Orleans, secret organizations called krewes began organizing parades in 1857 featuring colorful floats and masked riders throwing beads. Today, Mardi Gras remains a festive event allowing indulgence before Lent and symbolizing renewal.

1. Humanities 1301, Event Presentation. By: Angela Rudolph

2. Description:
 The website boasted: “Mardi Gras 2015 is Tuesday, February 17th. We're
counting down the minutes.” Mardi Gras New Orleans introduces you to
the major participants of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, provides updated
parade information and parade routes, the truth about our Mardi Gras
history and traditions, helpful Mardi Gras tips, information on the
different krewes and balls, Mardi Gras pictures & videos, the best places
to get your Mardi Gras beads, masks, costumes, and delicious king
cakes... and much more! Save the date: Mardi Gras 2016 is Tuesday,
February 9th.” (http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/). The
excitement builds all year long. The artists are many, masked,
unmasked, in the parade, around you, next to you. Mardi Gras is about
everything you experience while in New Orleans during this celebration.
It’s like you’re not only seeing the play, you’re a part of it.
(http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/)

3. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French but that’s
not where it originated. It started as a pagan holiday
to celebrate Spring. Rome was the first to combine
Christianity with these pagan rituals in an attempt to
unify their people. This integrated carnival was then
celebrated in all Catholic-based countries and
brought to New Orleans with the French in 1827. In
1857 krewes, or groups of people with a common
link, introduced the parades and colorful floats, led
by Comus. Krewes still exist and every year they
each pick their own theme and the themes aren’t
revealed until the first parade.

4. The original King of Carnival was
Rex. He is the one who chose
the yellows, greens and purples
as symbolic colors. Interestingly
enough, he chose them to honor
a visiting Russian Grand Duke;
green for faith, gold for power
and purple for justice, and the
song since it was the Duke’s
favorite. The courts of Rex and
Comus now oversee the holiday
each year.

5. Today Mardi Gras is still all about overindulging and
providing a time to misbehave before having to behave. It’s
a purge of all our inappropriate desires as humans. What
could represent us, the human race, any better than that?

6. Every year each krewe chooses a theme,
costumes, music, builds a float and
stockpiles beads to throw out to the
crowds. Beads, that anywhere else are
completely worthless, are a necessity at
Mardi Gras. They become a way of
bartering with others, and a status
symbol as more beads mean you are more
successful and more important, there in
that moment only. A King and Queen of
each krewe are also chosen. I found it
interesting that they are the only ones
who do not wear a mask.
Analysis:

7. Masks are everywhere. I was
unaware until now that all
float riders have to wear
masks to preserve their
anonymity. It’s an actual city
code. You must, however,
take it off and/or say who you
are if asked. The masks
started as a way of allowing
the shy to cast aside their
inhibitions and join in.

8. The colorful parades flow through
streets, the bright lights come on, the
smells from the many restaurants mixed
with the stench from the alleyways fill
your nose, and music is heard
everywhere over the socializing. I love
the way carnival feels. Watchers are
carefree, happy, and feel youthful and
united until at odds for coveted
trinkets. The festivities surround you,
drawing you this way and that. You’re
amazed at the bright colors and sounds
but at the same time the masked figures
on floats strike fear; a fear that
somehow makes you feel more alive.
Smooth is the best word for the entire
experience.

9. I

10. e
Purples, greens, yellows, masked faces and
white-gloved hands throwing sparkly beads that
are later seen on smiling people who see them
as pronouncing their worth. Laughter down
every corridor. You don’t dare go, but you
wonder.

11. How can one
describe Mardi
Gras? Very
simple, it’s a
welcome
assault on all
the senses. It’s
humanity in its
most raw form;
the good and
the bad
intertwined,
beauty and the
unseemly
together.
Interpretation:

13. It’s the new and the old intertwined.

14. And rebirth where there was recently chaos.

15. It’s wonderful smells and tastes.

16. It’s
captivating
colors and the
excitement of
the floats and
bright lights,
mesmerizing
jazz music all
coming at you
in
movements.

18. It’s the forced closeness of all the people
celebrating; the bumping and brushing and the fact
that people let their guard down and smile, speak.
They set all else aside and willingly coexist for a
brief moment; they touch.

19. a

20. Mardi Gras
symbolizes
hope and
renewal. Like
Spring, it
returns every
year promising
a fresh start
after a much
needed purge.

21. Evaluation:
There are parts I
choose not to
participate in.
Luckily, Mardi Gras
trickles into and
takes over every part
of New Orleans
during carnival.
There’s so much to
do, and I can’t deny
that I cherish the
energy I get from
this city in general. I
relish the beauty
that comes from it
forcing us to face our
past and our future,
the inevitable and
the here and now.

22. The most alluring quality of this celebration is that it’s based on a
story as old as time: We’re born, then we die. No exceptions. In
this, if only this, we are all equal.

23. Mardi Gras reminds us to appreciate what’s right in
front of us at the moment, and to truly live.
Isn’t that the purpose of real art?

24. The End
Works Cited:
History. “Mardi Gras.” A&E Networks. 2015. Web. 29, March
2015. http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras.
“Mardi Gras.” Journeymart.com. 2014. Web. 29, March
2015. http://www.journeymart.com/holidays-
ideas/festivals/mardi-gras.aspx.
Mardi Gras, New Orleans. “Mardi Gras, New Orleans.“
Compucast Web, Inc. 2015. Web. 29, March 2015.
http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
<lorraineallentours.com>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
<lorraineallentours.com>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
<dreamstime.com>.