Bring the king cakes

Welcome to Mardi Gras! This festival is celebrated all over the United States, Caribbean, and South America, but it is an icon of New Orleans. The first Mardi Gras was held in Louisiana at the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1833, after a wealthy Frenchman raised funds to finance the formal celebration. Today, the centerpiece is a series of parades led by various ‘krewes’. The krewes throw purple, green, and gold beads at onlookers, symbolizing justice, faith, and power.
© f11photo/Getty Images