USA

How to Celebrate Mardi Gras, America’s Best Party

Article and Photography by Nicholas Kontis

W ho doesn’t love a good party? I fuel at least a part of my wanderlust by scheduling my travel when a festival or other cultural event is happening somewhere on the planet. Events inevitably embrace local music and delicious cuisine. And with the Lent season come joyous winter-spring carnivals.

In February 2020, my wife and I attended Carnival on the Amazon River, in Manaus. After voyaging without internet on the riverboat MY Tucano, I returned to civilization to discover that the world was shutting down, to combat the dreaded Coronavirus. We forged on to Rio de Janeiro, just in time to witness the climax of Carnival in the “Marvelous City.” Those folks sure know how to throw a party.

Fast forward to February 2022. In Louisiana, I immersed myself in two renditions of Mardi Gras, known by locals as a season of excess, sociability and tradition. I began my adventure in Shreveport, then moved on to New Orleans for the largest party in the United States.

A tradition in Shreveport

If you want a traditional Louisiana Mardi Gras without the raucous mayhem or exorbitant prices of New Orleans, drive 5½ hours northwest to Shreveport. Shreveport (and its twin city of Bossier) throws the best family-friendly version of Mardi Gras in the state.

Adorned in a purple, green and gold Mardi Gras costume, I tossed beads and other trinkets off the Disney-themed Krewe of Centaur float to delighted crowds. With screaming fans, this is as closest I’ll ever get to the fanaticism of Beatlemania. “We have gotten bigger and better every year,” said Joe Duhon, Shreveport’s past King of Centaur. “Our parade is on two Saturdays, 10 days before Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.”

In New Orleans, I was just another partygoer, a merrymaker in the crowd showered with gifts. But in Shreveport, I was an active participant. Riding the float, I had bags of beads, cups and other curios at my disposal to throw. The Centaur mantra is to create a better community by staging an all-inclusive, family-fun event. I was thronged by locals hoping to catch a treasure, yelling: “Throw me something, Mister!”

New Orleans’ biggest party

I doubt if any city in the world, other than New Orleans, can flaunt nonstop parties from late October to Lent. Beginning with Halloween, through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Mardi Gras, New Orleans offers four months of nonstop, all-inclusive mayhem and revelry.

More than 1 million people descend upon New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The lavish spectacle is full of parades, parties and a storied 600 years of carnival tradition that dates back to the pagan spring and fertility rites of Medieval Europe, and beyond that, all the way to ancient Greece.

When the influence of the Roman Catholic Church spread across the world, Carnival spread with it — first to France, then to North America in the 17th century.

What and when?

What’s the difference between Carnival and Mardi Gras? Carnival refers to the season of merriment that always begins on January 6. It culminates on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday.
Also known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, Mardi Gras is observed throughout the world. In the greater New Orleans area, as many as 70 vibrant parades may roll through the streets. Since 1857, more than 2,000 Mardi Gras parades have taken place.

When is Mardi Gras? The date varies each year. It is linked to Easter Sunday, which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox, its date fixed at March 21. Thus Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 23 and April 25. In 2023, it will be on April 9, preceded by Mardi Gras on February 21.

As licensed by the Roman Catholic church, Carnival means “farewell to flesh.” It is designated as a period of feasting (Fat Tuesday) that precedes the fasting of Lent. Frivolity ceases, and the period of abstention begins, at exactly midnight on Ash Wednesday — 46 days before Easter.

Mardi Gras, therefore, can fall on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9. But the formal start to the carnival season is the Feast of Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas (January 6), also known as King’s Day.

A year-round event

As I discovered in Rio de Janeiro, Mardi Gras preparation is a year-round event, a business that never stops. New Orleans’ Kern Studios is the city’s oldest and largest parade design studio, creating everything from the elaborate towering sculptures of Marilyn Monroe and Louis Armstrong to statues of the King, Queen and Baby Kong, as well as the growing female Krewes Cleopatra, Femme Fatale and Muses. Local writer and historian Arthur Hardy has proclaimed the Kern family the most significant influence on Mardi Gras in the 20th century.

Another tradition is the addicting and mouth-watering King Cake, descended from southern France’s traditional Twelfth Night cake. It is now a staple of Mardi Gras. Local bakeries make nearly 800,000 of the simple brioche sprinkled with sugar, a delectable, carnival-colored treat. Over 50,000 are shipped throughout the U.S. during holiday season, between January 6 and ending on Fat Tuesday.

A small plastic baby is hidden in each cake. Tradition says that the person who gets the slice with the plastic baby must provide the cake or throw the next party.

Locals argue for and defend their favorite bakeries. Matt Haines, author of “The Big Book of King Cake,” claims to have sampled 88 King Cakes in a single Mardi Gras. As sweet fillings have evolved, the variety of King Cakes seems endless.

It takes more than a global pandemic to crush the souls and spirits of New Orleans locals. The Crescent City canceled Mardi Gras in 2021, and for the first time since 1945, Louisiana was paradeless. That made the 2022 spectacle extraordinary.

“Since the first parade rolled out in 1857, Mardi Gras has survived world wars, yellow fever epidemics, and political uprising because man’s need to celebrate is universal and unstoppable,” said historian Hardy.

But Covid-19 stimulated a new event — the concept of decorating houses to keep the event alive. In 2021, and again in 2022, drivers could view ornamented houses from a safe distance. “Turn your house into a float and throw the beads from your attic at your neighbors,” tweeted Megan Boudreaux, founder of House of Floats. The concept snowballed.

If you go

As they say, “location, location.” Hotels book quickly, so time is of the essence for both air and hotel. Most partygoers attempt to stay in or near the French Quarter and close to the parade routes. But the week leading up to Mardi Gras is the busiest week of the year, so expect to pay premium rates. While New Orleans is an accessible walking town, locals told me that a good rule of thumb is to stay close to St. Charles Street (the main parade street) or the city’s hub along Canal Street.

I stayed at the Nopsi Hotel, two blocks from St. Charles and five from iconic Bourbon Street with its splendid wrought-iron balconies and cobblestone side streets. Hedonistic pleasures were never far away. For in-depth parade coverage, I downloaded the WDSU Parade Tracker app.

Other suggestions

Don’t miss Antoine’s Restaurant, America’s oldest continually run family-owned restaurant. It’s famous for its Baked Alaska.

Visit the King Cake Hub Pop-Up at the historic New Orleans Collection. This is a city tradition and a one-stop shop for New Orleans’ most sought-after sweet.

Shop on Magazine Street for Mardi Gras costumes. The Funky Monkey and Miss Claudia’s and two outstanding vintage-clothing shops.

Stroll with a local. Explore “Nola” and its storied history with Two Chicks Walking Tours. Small groups explore the historic French Quarter and the opulent homes of the Garden District.

The Louisiana State Museum pays tribute to the 150-year history of the Rex Krewe and the dozens of Krewes that have followed. The collection of over 60 elegant costumes and gowns of past Krewe kings, queens and courtiers weaves a tale of the sophistication of the event.

Every year, about 1.5 million visitors flock to New Orleans to watch the Mardi Gras festivities. Mark your calendar for February 21, 2023, and don’t forget to bring a handbag for the avalanche of gìfts you’ll be bestowed.

https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com