Experiencing Mardi Gras in New Orleans with Stephen Perry - WFSB 3 Connecticut

Experiencing Mardi Gras in New Orleans with Stephen Perry

Interesting Mardi Gras Facts:

· Mardi Gras, which in French means "Fat Tuesday" has been held in New Orleans since 1837

· The Mardi Gras season attracts more than two million visitors to the New Orleans area

· More than 70 parades roll through the streets with tens of thousands of maskers on board throwing millions of pairs of plastic beads and trinkets

· Mardi Gras has been a legal holiday in New Orleans since 1875

· The tradition of throwing items such as beads, plastic cups and trinkets from the floats to parade-goers dates back to Renaissance Europe

· In New Orleans, the first person to do that was a Krewe (the name of a carnival organization) member dressed as Santa Claus in the 1880's

· Mardi Gras revelers of all ages are encouraged to join float riders in dressing up and masking on Carnival Day

· An economic impact study released by the University of New Orleans estimates that Mardi Gras generates over $840 million annually

· Fat Tuesday is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, the 40-day solemn Lenten season observed by Christians and leading up to Easter Sunday

· More than 500,000 king cakes are sold each year in New Orleans between January 6 and Fat Tuesday, and another 50,000 are shipped out-of-state via overnight courier

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