MAIN Home Life Holidays Mardi Gras & Carnival

Will New Orleans celebrate Mardi Gras this year?

You bet!

It's been three years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and the biggest party town in America will pick itself up for the 2008 Mardi Gras celebration with even bigger crowds - and more parades - expected this year.

The New Orleans Mardi Gras parade schedule begins on January 19, 2008 and continues through to Fat Tuesday, February 5.

Mardi Gras & Carnival

Traditionally, Mardi Gras and Carnival celebrations include lots of feasting, partying and parading on Shrove Tuesday - just before Ash Wednesday - when the Church rules of fasting and sacrifice take effect.

It's been that way in Christian countries around the world since the Middle Ages, but many suspect that early spring partying harks back to the dawn of mankind.

Today most of the world's celebrations occur in the week of Fat Tuesday, which falls on February 5th this year.

The biggest and loudest of them, as always, are in Rio and New Orleans...although the Karneval, or Fasching, festivities in Cologne and Berlin get pretty wild, Carnaval in Nice shows off the wackier side of the trendy Riviera scene and the Italians in Venice put on a good show, too.

Learn more about Mardi Gras and Carnival customs and history around the world with suggestions for food and drink, traditional recipes, rollicking ideas and decorating themes for hosting your own pre-Lent Mardi Gras party celebration...

Mardi Gras.com - The #1 location for finding out more about this year's New Orleans celebration with the latest news and updates, parade maps and schedules, planning guide, recipes, history, e-cards, screensaver, photo galleries, video and sound clips, live webcam and lots more.

Mardi Gras New Orleans - Featuring everything you always wanted to know including related party ideas, history and tradition, official Mardi Gras colors, recipes for king cake and more, photo gallery and live webcam together with general New Orleans tourist attractions, current parade schedule, tour packages, and where to shop for beads and other party paraphernalia.

Mardi Gras Day - The parade schedule, bookable New Orleans hotel reservations, an online store, and featuring complete party ideas for adults, teens or kid's celebrations including recipes for Mardi Gras drinks, entrees, appetizers and desserts, plus instructions for making your own parade float.

NOLA.com: Everything New Orleans - Get the live picture of what's going on this minute via webcams set up on Bourbon Street, at oyster bars, and other interesting views around town.

Mardi Gras Party Ideas from Evite - Tips & how to's for putting together your own grand fete at home with recipes, a music list, advice on party decorations, costumes and activities.

Mardi Gras Recipes - The complete guide from TABASCO with complete instructions and ingredient lists for gumbo and jambalaya dishes, Cajun and Creole favorites, party cocktails and King Cake, plus check out how to's on party ideas & activities, a free Mardi Gras screen saver, and related feature stories.

Carnaval.com - An extensive directory to Mardi Gras and Carnaval worldwide including guides to New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Trinidad, London, New York, Toronto, Cologne and more cities worldwide with links to related history and happenings.

All About Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - A colorful intro to Rio's Carnaval including the Samba parade, balls and celebrations, a party planner, a guide to 2005 tour packages, photo galleries.

Nice Carnaval - Fun and frivolity on the French Riviera with details on this year's celebration themes, along with background info on the flower and carnival parades, general history and traditions. In English and French.

also see in Recipes -> Shrimp Jambalaya

Black Bean Gumbo | Gumbo Sloppy Joes | Spicy Cajun Shrimp

Mardi Gras King Cake | New Orleans Pralines

also see related feature -> What is Mardi Gras Celebrating?

Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday | Shrove Tuesday: Pancake Fest

also see in Travel -> Spring Break