The colors of Mardi Gras provide the celebrations with yet another link to legitimate royalty, the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff. See similar questions...

The colors of Carnival were chosen in 1872 by that year's Rex. By some accounts, the colors were chosen because Rex thought they looked good together. Twenty years later, for the 1892 parade, Rex declared that the colors had meaning: purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. See similar questions...

These colors were introduced by the Rex organization during his first roll! Purple represents Justice; Green represents Faith; Gold represents Power. See similar questions...

Mardi Gras day in 2008 is February 5. Mardi Gras Day (which is also Fat Tuesday) is the last day of the Mardi Gras Carnival season. Mardi Gras day falls on a different day each year. It is always 46 days before Easter. See similar questions...

Almost all of the Mardi Gras parades begin with the King and Queen leading the parade. They are followed by many floats, which carry the members of the krewe. The krewe members throw "trinkets or throws" to the crowds lining the streets. These throws can be doubloons with the krewes insignia on them, beads, cups, etc. Many of these items become collectibles each year. The crowd scrambles for the throws while yelling "throw me something mister!" See similar questions...

Admission to the traditional balls held is by invitation only. Most invitations are non-transferable. You can read a short narrative of a Carnival Ball and see pictures online. See similar questions...

Mardi Gras officially starts at Twelfth Night, which occurs 12 days after Christmas on January 6th. There are several celebrations around the city, and it is a great day here in New Orleans. It means for us King Cake Lovers, that the bakeries around town will have King Cake for sale!!!!. Where can I find information about the parade schedule, and the parade routes? We have posted the tentative Mardi Gras parade schedule for 2008. Yes. See similar questions...

Mardi Gras is New Orleans' most famous and biggest holiday season. New Orleans and Mardi Gras are so linked in public perception that it sometimes comes as a surprise that the holiday didn't originate here. But New Orleans and Mardi Gras have put their stamp on one another over the centuries, to the extent that there is some sense of the spirit of Mardi Gras year-round, reflected in every festival and party in the city. First, some definitions. See similar questions...

That depends on your definition of "a lot." Most of all, it depends on where you're standing. There is absolutely SOME nudity during Mardi Gras. In general, it occurs within the French Quarter, where my Bible Belt dictionary would define it as "a lot." And while Bourbon Street is the densely packed center of this carnal display, it is certainly not confined to Bourbon Street. By nudity, we mean the flashing of body parts, either for beads or for other reasons. See similar questions...

By all means, but be picky where you take them. Unless you want to answer uncomfortable questions, you should never take a child down Bourbon Street. If you want to make the French Quarter frenzy part of your Mardi Gras party, make plans for a babysitter. That being said, any authentic New Orleanian will be glad to talk your ear off about childhood Mardi Gras memories that make Carnival sound as wholesome as Christmas morning. See similar questions...

Again, as there is no official Mardi Gras ruling organization, there is no official theme. In the New Orleans area, each parading organization sets its own theme - sometimes kept secret until the parade - and non-parading krewes set themes for their balls. In 2003, as we prepared for war in Iraq, patriotic themes were common. See similar questions...

Carnival officially begins in New Orleans on the Feast of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night - Jan. 6 - and continues until the midnight of Fat Tuesday - Mardi Gras - the day before Ash Wednesday. See similar questions...

Visit How to Have a Mardi Gras Party for information on how to plan a Mardi Gras party. Information about adult parties, teenager/prom parties, and children's parties are available. See similar questions...

You can buy them from me. Send cash. Check in at the "will call" desk at the airport. We have a limited-time, internet-only special that includes entrance to ALL parades, plus all the beads you can catch. OK, obviously your exposure to Mardi Gras is limited to "Girls Gone Naughty" and the Dubuque High School homecoming. So let's get it straight: Mardi Gras is a HOLIDAY. Like Christmas. Or Halloween. Anyone can create Mardi Gras events - and charge for them, or not. See similar questions...

A parka and suntan oil. Seriously, Mardi Gras can occur at the end of what we call winter all the way to late spring. Generally that means the best chance for "nice" weather that you get in New Orleans. Moderate highs, cooler evenings. But it's also a season where we have rapid changes and often-extreme weather. Mardi Gras 1998, for example, started with chilly, rainy weather that included a "hurricane-like" storm, as The Times-Picayune headlined it, and ended with broiling sunburn days. See similar questions...

mentioned above, Mardi Gras really kicks into high gear the last two weeks. The height of the party - including the most famous parades and other activities - is the last long five-day weekend, from Friday through Fat Tuesday. For 2007, this means Feb. 16-20. The weekend before that also offers a packed selection of parades and plenty of partying in the Quarter, and may be preferable if you're not sure about the whole Mardi Gras thing. Mardi Gras involves big, big rowdy crowds. See similar questions...