Living through a pandemic has served as a difficult task for many people, especially when beloved traditions are forced to be canceled out of precaution. Massive celebrations such as Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” have all suffered during these past two years as we all ache to return back to normal. However, this year, citizens of New Orleans got their wish. On March 1, 2022, New Orleans celebrated their first full-dress Mardi Gras since March 2020, right before the pandemic began.

Mardi Gras celebrations date back to medieval Europe, before being passed on to the United States through French colonists. Eventually, around the 1730s, Mardi Gras started to be widely celebrated in places such as New Orleans. However, “Fat Tuesday” did not always look the way it is often practiced today. When originally introduced, balls were more commonly held, rather than large-scale parades.

The colors of Mardi Gras—green, purple, and gold—date back to the Krewe of Rex’s first parade. The Krewe of Rex is one of the oldest groups that participate in the Mardi Gras parades throughout the streets. The Krewe of Rex is also often regarded as the “King of Mardi Gras,” as is pictured below. The Rex organization has since stated that “purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power.” Eventually, these colors caught on, and along with them, so did the usage of beads being thrown from the parade floats.

https://www.neworleans.com/event/krewe-of-rex/3389/

The return of Mardi Gras could not have come at a better time after the pandemic. Along with raising spirits, the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans provided much-needed attention to struggling businesses and restaurants. In an interview with FOX10, Thomas Houston, a manager at a local restaurant, stated, “The crowd on Sunday, when the huge Krewe of Bacchus paraded, ‘was a record for us in the 10 years we’ve been open.'” Although the parade routes may have been shorter, many people have come forward, stating how much having a Mardi Gras celebration meant to them, especially after last year.

Last year, when the restrictions were too severe for a parade to occur, the city turned to its citizens, asking how they would like to celebrate this tradition instead of a parade. Eventually, the citizens of New Orleans settled on decorating each of their homes individually so that they would look like a parade float. There were houses decorated to look like a Krewe’s float, houses decorated in the traditional colors, and even houses decorated with random themes. However, even with the return of parades this year, citizens are still invited to participate in “House Floats” once more if they desire.

https://uptownmessenger.com/2021/01/house-float-brings-a-bit-of-a-acadiana-to-the-lower-garden-district/

All in all, the people of New Orleans are overjoyed at the return of the tradition they covet so much. Although it may not perfectly match what once occurred, the spirit of the tradition remains untouched. With the addition of new traditions such as the “House Floats” and the patronage uptick in businesses, this year’s Mardi Gras was just as amazing as it has ever been, even with the challenges the pandemic poses.

Works Cited:

‘Biggest party in the world’ Mardi Gras returns to New Orleans. (n.d.). 4WWL. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.wwltv.com/article/entertainment/events/mardi-gras/watch-live-new-orleans-mardi-gras-2022/289-02e87202-4ea0-4790-b724-dca9c66dc2da

House floats will be back in 2022! (2021, October 25). Mardi Gras New Orleans. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/news/house-floats-will-be-back-in-2022

Mardi Gras History. (n.d.). Mardi Gras New Orleans. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history/

Williams, C. (2022, March 1). Mardi Gras 2022: ‘Fat Tuesday’ celebrations return as COVID-19 cases drop. FOX10. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/mardi-gras-2022-fat-tuesday-celebrations-return-as-covid-19-cases-drop