New Orleans Mardi Gras – An Annual Festival of United States

Mardi Gras, which is called as Fat Tuesday in French, is an annual festival of New Orleans, United States. The carnival starts with the start of the Catholic season of Lent or on Epiphany. It is a season of parties, parades and balls, and has traditionally been an imperative part of winter social season. 

The carnival is celebrated to indicate the practice of eating rich and fatty food on the last night, before the start of the ritual fasting of Lent season. Celebration of the carnival starts two weeks before the Fat Tuesday. Generally, one major parade is held every day; but, most of the days several parades have been conducted. The last five days of the carnival season are more significant with the most largest and elaborated parades. In the final week of the festival celebration, numerous events have been organized, be it small or large, all through New Orleans and other neighboring communities. Mardi Gras carnival was first brought by early French settlers, and the festival was celebrated at the entrance of the Mississippi River in the year 1699. 

Every year, the carnival season starts on January 6, which is termed as “Twelfth Night”, and on this day, several of the oldest societies of New Orleans (like the Independent Strikers' Society) hold masked balls. Moreover, some of the popular traditions of Mardi Gras include dance, street parades, sports competition, wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, debauchery, and many more. Apart from US, the festival celebration varies from country to country and city to city, depending upon their traditions and culture. In some countries, it is celebrated between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday; while in some countries, it is celebrated three days prior to Ash Wednesday. Besides United States, cities that are popular for celebrating Mardi Gras are - Quebec City, Canada; Rio de Janeiro Brazil; Barranquilla, Colombia; Mazatlán and Sinaloa, Mexico; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mobile, Alabama. 

Costumes and masks play a significant role in Mardi Gras celebration as they add color and beauty to it, especially when made-up of natural feathers. Carnival costumes made from plumes not only look attractive, but also give soft and smooth feel. Variety of plumes in different shades and sizes is used to make carnival costumes and masks. These plumes include Ostrich, Pheasant, Cocktail and Peacock. You can easily get these feathers in wide range of sizes and colors from Schuman Feathers. The best thing is that you can buy these feathers in bulk from the site at a highly pocket-friendly yet competitive price.