Carnival encompasses more than 80 parades in and around New Orleans, a storied king cake tradition, krewe balls and distinct cultural observances rooted in centuries of Catholic, African American and Cajun tradition — a celebration that stretches far beyond the French Quarter.
As residents across much of the country settle back into post-holiday routines, Louisiana is gearing up for its biggest annual celebration: Carnival season, a weeks-long pre-Lenten bash of elaborate parades, feasting and costumed revelry that draws more than a million visitors to New Orleans each year.
The season opens Jan. 6 and runs 43 days through Fat Tuesday on Feb. 17, the Associated Press reported. The dates shift year to year because they are tied to Easter, which has no fixed date — Mardi Gras can fall anywhere between Feb. 3 and March 9.
Carnival and Mardi Gras are not the same thing
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things. Carnival is the entire pre-Lenten period, rooted in Christian and Roman Catholic tradition. Mardi Gras — also known as Fat Tuesday — is a single day, the final one.
The celebration is not exclusive to New Orleans. Similar festivities stretch across Louisiana and into Alabama, where Mobile lays claim to the nation’s oldest Mardi Gras celebration. World-renowned Carnival celebrations also take place in Brazil and Europe.
Parades and krewes
Parades are Carnival’s most visible feature. More than 80 are scheduled in and around New Orleans this season, many lasting several hours, the AP reported.
Each parade fields energetic marching bands, costumed dancers and multi-level floats carrying fantastical hand-built figures. The parades vary in character — some are all-female, some satirize politics, and at least one carries a science-fiction theme with revelers dressed as characters from popular fiction.
Float riders and members of Carnival clubs, known as krewes, spend considerable time and money on preparations. Spectators crowd streets and sidewalks to catch “throws” — trinkets tossed from floats: plastic beads, candy, doubloons, stuffed animals and more coveted items including painted coconuts, hand-decorated shoes and bedazzled toilet plungers.
The Endymion krewe, which fields New Orleans’ largest parade, hosts 3,200 riders and more than 80 floats and estimates it tosses more than 15 million throws along its route. The krewe’s motto is, “Throw ‘til it Hurts.”
King cake
Jan. 6 also marks the start of king cake season. Lines form around the block at popular bakeries, the AP reported.
The brioche-style pastry — ring-shaped, streaked with cinnamon and adorned with icing in purple, green and gold — has become one of Carnival’s most recognizable symbols. Some bakers trace its origins to an ancient Roman holiday.
Hidden inside each cake is a tiny plastic baby figurine. Whoever finds it in their slice is traditionally expected to buy the next cake or host the next gathering, providing a recurring pretext for celebration. The traditional recipe has evolved in recent years, with variations including a boudin-filled version and one fashioned from sushi rolls.
Other traditions
Beyond the main parade circuit, distinct Carnival traditions persist across Louisiana and within specific communities in New Orleans.
In central Louisiana, participants observe the Cajun French Courir de Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday Run. Masked and costumed revelers travel in rural processions, performing and collecting ingredients — including chasing live chickens — to use in a communal gumbo at the end of the day.
In New Orleans, some African Americans mask in elaborate beaded and feathered Mardi Gras Indian suits, roving the city to sing, dance, drum and perform. The tradition, central to the Black Carnival experience in New Orleans since at least the late 1800s, is believed to have begun partly as a tribute to area Native Americans who assisted Black people and runaway enslaved people. It also developed during the era of segregation, when Black residents were barred from participating in whites-only parades.