Mardi Gras is a traditional holiday which is most famously celebrated in New Orleans every year.

It has a religious background by beginning on January 6, which is the Feast of Epiphany. The reason that Carnival begins on Epiphany is because it was the night that the Wise Men visited the infant Jesus and gave Him their gifts.

This marks the beginning of the Carnival season and it lasts up to Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.

During the Carnival season, extravagant parties, parades, and balls are held.

At parades, beads are a popular item to be thrown into the crowds. The traditional colors of beads include purple which symbolizes justice, green which symbolizes faith, and gold which symbolizes power. The beads can represent good luck and the spirit and color of Mardi Gras.

AP European History teacher Kyle Malzahn grew up in New Orleans.

“[Mardi Gras] consists of craziness, wildness, revelry, partying and things you would never see in any other city in the United States,” Malzahn said.

Elaborate masks are very popular for the Mardi Gras celebration. The tradition of the masks goes back to the masquerade balls and was also popular with members of secret organizations and the upper class.  The masks allowed the wearer to celebrate the holiday with no judgment which allowed the upper class and lower class to celebrate together. Currently, the masks allow the wearer to be anonymous and it can express one’s alter ego or hidden personality.

A traditional food item that is found with those whom celebrate Mardi Gras is King Cake. The King Cake is an oval shaped yeast cake decorated with the traditional colors of the holiday which are green, purple and gold. The color scheme further honors the Wise Men by the cake representing their jeweled crowns.

On Fat Tuesday, all that celebrate Lent get all their sins out before the 40 day fasting, abstinence, confession and penance, which begin at midnight.

Once Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, those who celebrate begin to prepare for Baptism, which will be celebrated on Easter Sunday.

For those who celebrate the Carnival season, there will be a Mardi Gras parade in Norman and Tulsa this year on March 4.  At the parades, vibrant costumes and masks will be worn and extravagant floats will make their way around part of the city. Trinkets and beads will also be thrown into the crowd to get people into the Carnival spirit!