The people in New Orleans take Mardi Gras very seriously. Festival goers don their green, gold, and purple — representing faith, power, and justice — for the parades, balls, and parties that celebrate the Carnival season. The holiday, originally dating back to medieval Europe, has been celebrated in the United States since 1703 and culminates on Fat Tuesday, a legal holiday in Louisiana. Mardi Gras boasts many traditions, but among the most popular are king cake, masks, “throws,” and Flambeaux.
A group of Abba enthusiasts walk in the Krewe of Thoth parade during Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024.
Callie Elizabeth Gregory (center left) dances with a parade walker dressed as a wrestler during the Krewe of Thon parade at Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024.
Member of The Dance Connection, a non-profit organization founded in 1979 for the sole purpose of dancing in Mardi Gras Parades, go in and out of their trailer as they waited for the Krewe of Thon parade to continue moving at Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024. Some of the parades would get stuck if the previous parade had not finished on the route yet.
Katie Brennan (left), Julia Kapusta (center), and Miranda Sheng (right) embrace each other during the Krewe of Endymion parade at Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 10, 2024.
Karlie Masters (left) and Kaylee Tumminello (right) give their feet a break from their cowgirl boots as they sit waiting for the next parade to start at Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024.
A person holds up a pride flag as they walk by a protester on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024.
Courtney Carter (right) holds her daughter McKenna Carter, 2, as she watches the horses ride by during the Krewe of Bacchus parade at Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024.
Alex Francingues smiles up at Adam Shamsi as he stands on a ladder to watch the Krewe of Endymion parade at Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 10, 2024.
Breej (center) dances on stage as McBatman (left back) sings karaoke at the Cat’s Meow karaoke bar during Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024.
The blue lights from a New Orleans police car illuminate the trash-littered street after the Mardi Gras parades finished for the day in New Orleans on Feb. 11, 2024. The festival produces about 2.5 million pounds of trash every year, according to the Ecology Center.