Mardi gras season- Jan 6 until Mardi Gras on Mar 4

[RadishRose]

The 2025 New Orleans Carnival season starts on Saturday, Jan. 6, and concludes on Mardi Gras, Tuesday, March 4.

 

[RadishRose]

"Mardi Gras" is a French phrase that translates to "Fat Tuesday". It's a term used to describe the final day of feasting before the Christian fasting season of Lent...

Explanation

• Mardi: The French word for Tuesday
• Gras: The French word for "fat"

 

[Twostep]

The 2025 New Orleans Carnival season starts on Saturday, Jan. 6, and concludes on Mardi Gras, Tuesday, March 4.

I know that balcony too well. Food is ok. Only two toilets in the restaurant though.

 

[Ted01]

So, what color beads do you want thrown at you @RadishRose?

You can only choose one!!

 

[Gardenlover]

Hell with that Ted! I'll throw her red, purple, green or blue. I'm generous with my beads!

 

[Twostep]

I really want some King Cake. The real stuff!!!

 

[Ted01]

Hell with that Ted! I'll throw her red, purple, green or blue. I'm generous with my beads!

She prolly deserves the full load!

 

[jujube]

Just as long as I don't get beaned with one of those gold coconuts, I'll be happy with any color of beads.

I'll even promise to NOT show you my t!ts. That's my gift to New Orleans.

 

[Medusa]

Some years we celebrate Mardi Gras here at home. My husband makes Jambalaya and I make King's Cake from cinnamon rolls and hide a tiny plastic baby in someone's piece.

One of these years I'll make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and disappear into the crowd.

 

[oscash]

Our Mardi Gras starts on Saturday 1st March. It's a very colourful and happy time for all the LGBTQIA + community. A few of our friends are
Gay and they talked my husband in to dressing up in drag and go on one of their floats., gees he was a rough looking sought., ha ha.

 

[RadishRose]

Kings Cakes, Traditional for Mardi Gras

complete with choking hazard:

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Some years we celebrate Mardi Gras here at home. My husband makes Jambalaya and I make King's Cake from cinnamon rolls and hide a tiny plastic baby in someone's piece.

One of these years I'll make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and disappear into the crowd.

What’s with the plastic baby? Is there a story here I should know about?

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Wrong thread.

 

[HermitHogan]

I have no desire to go to New Orleans. I might have enjoyed it when I was young, but that's no longer my idea of a good time.

I do like some New Orleans food, though, and some of their music.

 

[Elsie]

Another set up for fun, violence, debauchery. Who could ask for anything more fun than that?

 

[Medusa]

What’s with the plastic baby? Is there a story here I should know about?

Traditionally, whoever finds the baby in their piece brings the cake the next year and is the king or queen for the day, for whatever that's worth. We used to buy a $25 Amazon card and whoever got the baby won the gift card.

 

[Twostep]

Another set up for fun, violence, debauchery. Who could ask for anything more fun than that?

Party pooper? What is wrong with some good food, drink and fun?

 

[Elsie]

Party pooper? What is wrong with some good food, drink and fun?

The party poopers who get so drunk they mess up the (clean) fun of it.

 

[Twostep]

The party poopers who get so drunk they mess up the (clean) fun of it.

Well Mardi Gras is not only for the perfects.

 

[Rossana]

When we lived in the Pensacola area, we were able to buy a King's cake at the local bakery. The whole area celebrated Mardi Gras.
Most restaurants offer a variety of cajun and creole dishes all year. After all, New Orleans is a mere 3 hours away.
Some of you might not know that Mardi Gras in the USA actually originated in Mobile, AL.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Traditionally, whoever finds the baby in their piece brings the cake the next year and is the king or queen for the day, for whatever that's worth. We used to buy a $25 Amazon card and whoever got the baby won the gift card.

Oh that’s a great idea. Thanks for the details.

 

[Ted01]

What’s with the plastic baby? Is there a story here I should know about?

 

[RadishRose]

Other states celebrate Mardi Gras, too.

Brazil South America Has the most over the top Carnival parades of all. Samba! Carne, refering to meat, the last meat-eating until Lent is over.

The Latin phrase carne levare was shortened by Italians to carnevale, which means "flesh farewell".

• The Spanish and Portuguese translated carnevale to carnaval.
• The English translated carnaval to "Carnival".
• The French translated carnaval to "Mardi Gras" (Fat Tuesday).

 

[David777]

In 1967 while being stationed at Keesler Air Force Base 80 miles east at Biloxi, Mississippi for electronics training, visited New Orleans for Fat Tuesday. Drinking age for any alcohol in Louisiana was 18 years old while in Mississippi was 18 for 3.2 beer. Recall collecting a bunch of the trinkets they throw off of floats and exploring many French Quarter bars. Next morning we were still in a drunken stupor.

 

[jujube]

Two of the U.S. Navy ships the Spousal Equivalent served aboard were sent to New Orleans to act as "floating barracks" for ROTC groups from colleges who were attending Mardi Gras.

I thought he was kidding me when he told me that, but no. What a great allocation of government equipment....provide housing for drunken college boys (I'm not sure there were girls in ROTC back then) to sleep off their revelry.

Well, at least he got to enjoy two Mardi Gras.