Mardi Gras
Pancake Tuesday • Shrove Tuesday
‘See the Zulu Gang on Saint Claude and Dumaine’
About Mardi Gras
It’s Mardi Gras, baby!—the culmination of 109 days of celebration. The sequins are stitched, the costumes are laid out, and the king cake is almost gone. The energy is uncontainable. It doesn’t matter if you’re in New Orleans or watching from afar, today is about maximum revelry. It’s a day overflowing with music, movement, food, feathers, parades, masks, painted faces, Krewes with funny names, and a complete absence of moderation. (To be clear: dance immoderately, drink responsibly.) Wherever you are in the world, you can bring Mardi Gras to life by treating the day like what it is: the last and greatest feast before the fast.
Ways to observe
(A) Low effort
Wear purple, green, and gold. Eat something decadent. Say “Laissez les bons temps rouler” to everyone you see.
(B) Recommended
Cook a feast (jambalaya, gumbo, étouffée). Host a mini parade or dance party. Throw beads to anyone who makes you smile. Watch a livestream of the New Orleans parades and cheer like you’re there.
(C) High effort
Dress in full costume. Parade through your neighborhood or living room. Attend a masquerade ball or host your own. Build a mini float. Make your own flambeaux. Collect coconuts (or coconuts-adjacent objects). Wake up early, go to bed late, and feel it all.
Inspiration
‘Mardi Gras’ means Fat Tuesday. It’s the final blowout before the austerity of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In Christian tradition, it was a day to use up all the rich foods—eggs, butter, meat—before the long stretch of fasting and repentance. Over centuries, particularly in Catholic cultures, it evolved into something wilder: a full-blown Carnival season, where masks, parades, music, and inversion of social order reign supreme. In New Orleans, the day begins early. You’ll want to be up before dawn to get your spot and watch as the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club rolls out one of the most iconic and meaningful parades in Mardi Gras history. With decorated coconuts tossed to the lucky, and an atmosphere that blends satire, heritage, and artistry, Zulu is a must-see. Then comes Rex, King of
Carnival, presiding over the city in beaded majesty, with flambeaux-bearers lighting the way as he declares a day of misrule. Everywhere, people dance in the streets, eat until they burst, and toast strangers like old friends. Even if you’re not in a parade, you’re in a parade.
Adornments
Listen
Go to the Mardi Gras by Professor Longhair
A rollicking New Orleans R&B classic built on Professor Longhair’s signature rumba piano rolls and whistle calls. Its mood is instantly jubilant. You can practically hear the brass bands warming up.
Big Chief by The Wild Tchoupitoulas
A funk-infused Mardi Gras Indian chant carried by heavy bass, funky guitar, and layered harmonies. The Wild Tchoupitoulas give the song a proud, strutting rhythm.
Do Whatcha Wanna by Rebirth Brass Band
A modern brass band classic that blends the second-line tradition with funk and improvisation. It mirrors the anarchic freedom of Carnival.
Hey Pocky A-Way by The Meters
A joyful tribute to the Mardi Gras Indian tradition, full of rhythmic chants and infectious funk. The song’s lyrics include street calls and ceremonial phrases used by the tribes.
Second Line by Stop Inc.
A driving, instrumental celebration of the New Orleans brass band tradition, built on thumping bass drums, high-pitched snares, and bright, syncopated horn riffs.
Feel Like Funkin’ It Up by Rebirth Brass Band
An unstoppable second-line anthem that kicks off with a shouted call to move and never lets up. It blends funk and traditional brass textures, inviting dancers into the street.
Street Parade by Earl King
This 1970s track blends rhythm and blues with a brassy, upbeat march. Written by the same artist who penned “Come On” and “Trick Bag,” it’s a celebration of the joy and chaos of Mardi Gras day.
Meet de Boys on the Battlefront by The Wild Tchoupitoulas
A traditional Mardi Gras Indian song popularized by George Landry (Big Chief Jolly) and later recorded with backing from The Meters and Neville Brothers.
Read
Carnival in Louisiana by Brian Costello
A comprehensive history of Mardi Gras across Louisiana, from the famous New Orleans festivities to smaller towns along the bayous. You’ll tour the raucous Cajun Courir de Mardi Gras (with costumed riders chasing chickens), witness elegant Creole society balls, and learn how each region added its own spice to the gumbo of Carnival traditions.