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| How is the date
of Mardi Gras determined?
Mardi Gras is always on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This date varies according to the Christian Calendar. This year Mardi Gras day fell February 8th. |
| What are the
colors of Mardi Gras?
The tradition of Mardi Gras color originated in 1872, when Rex selected their colors: green, purple and gold. In 1892 Rex Parade chose as their theme, Symbolism of Colors. Today the color signify the following: Green for Faith Purple for Justice |
| Does Mardi Gras
have a theme?
No, there is no overall theme for Mardi Gras. The individual krewes choose a theme. The floats are then decorated to highlight each krewe's theme each year. Even krewe members costume's are chosen to fit in with the parade theme. |
| The Parade Themes.
Throughout the history of Mardi Gras over 2000 parades were staged. As you can imagine, the themes have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. Parade themes, over time, have varied from history, mythology, legends, pop Icons, and literature to name a few. |
| Do Krewe names
hold any special meaning?
Some Krewes choose their names from Greek, Roman or Egyptian Mythology, while other Krewes are named for the Neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. A Krewe name can come from almost anywhere as long as all members agreed on the name. |
| How are parades
organized?
As a general rule parades consists of the court including the King & Queen, the Duke & Duchess, the Krewe Captains and Krewe members. The Captain heads the procession, sometimes on a special float, in a convertible or on horseback. Next follows the officers, the king or queen, and in some parades, the maids and dukes, followed by the title float and the floats that carry riding members. Most parades include in the procession marching bands, revellers, flambeaux holders and anyone who cares to join in is welcomed. |
| When do the Parades
Roll?
Officially, New Orleans Mardi Gras parade season begin the second Friday before Fat Tuesday. Leading up to the Main Event, Fat Tuesday, almost 60 parades roll throughout the Metro New Orleans area. The traditional parade route begins on St. Charles Avenue at Napoleon and travels down the Avenue ending up in or around Canal Street at the edge of the French Quarter. |
| Where do Floats
come from?
Most Carnival Krewes do not build their own floats. A lot of Floats during Mardi Gras are recycled. Each year Krewes create new themes and decorate the floats to match. Even the Krewe members' costumes are designed with the theme of the year in mind. In Orleans Parish (New Orleans), a city ordinance prohibits the use of the same float more than twice in the Central Business District during a single parade season. The Super Parades like Bacchus and Endymion typically add one or two new mega floats to their parade each year. It is quite a site to see. Blain Kern makes most of the elaborate floats for Mardi Gras. |
| So you want to be the King or Queen of
Mardi Gras?
The method of selecting Mardi Gras royalty varies from krewe to krewe. The King & Queen of Rex preside over Carnival. The King of Rex is selected by a board from the School of Design. The School of Design is one of Rex parade's sponsors. Some krewes hold lotteries to determine their king or queen. Most clubs charge the chosen monarch a fee to rule over the krewe. Some of the larger krewes choose a celebrity as their king. |
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This
page last updated Feb 22, 2007