It’s Mardi Gras time in New Orleans. There are, of course, the family events and parades, but New Orleans is perhaps best known for its tradition of adult-targeted parades and events.
All over New Orleans, people will be in costume, letting their hair down and doing things they perhaps would not do in any other place at any other time of the year. Of all the items traditionally associated with Mardi Gras, perhaps the best known is the mask.
Why do people wear masks at Mardi Gras events?
Professor Fred Koening of Tulane University states, "Masks are a way of being anonymous, and if you wear a mask, you take on a different persona. You can be a little drunker, a little wilder, a little more primitive. Furthermore, at Carnival people will be more tolerant of you. Normal rules are gone. Traditional routines are put on hold."
For many people, this is the only time when they feel free to truly express themselves. Mardi Gras can be a great stress reliever, and the celebratory nature of the parades can bring a smile to even the saddest of faces, even if they are hidden behind a mask.
This year is proving to be even more celebratory than years before, because not only are New Orleanians celebrating the traditional Mardi Gras season; they are also celebrating an event that has never happened before and that couldn’t have come at a better time of the year for the city—the very first ever Saints Super Bowl.
Put on your party clothes and masks, New Orleans, and let's go do it like only New Orleans can!
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