I loved the city and I particularly loved the gaiety and spirit of Mardi Gras.

Tomorrow Mardi Gras opens officially.

The opening track, "' Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum ', includes many references to parades in Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where participants are masked, and " determined to go all the way " of the parade route, in spite of being intoxicated.

The wearing of costumes has become an important part of such holidays and festivals as Mardi Gras and Halloween ( see Halloween costume for more information ), and ( to a lesser extent ) people may also wear costumes in conjunction with other holidays, such as Christmas and Easter.

Mardi Gras costumes usually take the form of jesters and other fantasy characters, while Halloween costumes traditionally take the form of supernatural creatures such as ghosts, vampires, pop culture icons and angels.

This day, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday when Lent begins, is also known as Mardi Gras, a French phrase which translates as " Fat Tuesday " to mark the last consumption of eggs and dairy before Lent begins.

The Krewe of Orpheus parades on St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street in New Orleans on Lundi Gras ( Fat Monday ) — the day before Mardi Gras ( Fat Tuesday ).

The event has earned its name as the Mardi Gras of the Mountains.

* Mardi Gras Indians

* He was Grand Marshal of the Krewe of Endymion Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans on February 21, 2009 and was accompanied by The Chee-Weez, a local area cover band.

* Mardi Gras ( February 3 to March 9 in regular years, February 4 to March 9 in leap years )

* Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras – 47 days before Easter.

These parties are sometimes associated with holiday events, such as Halloween and Mardi Gras.

* Mardi Gras

* Mardi Gras

* Mardi Gras

* Mardi Gras

New Orleans musicians such as Bartholomew and Longhair incorporated Cuban instruments, as well as the clave pattern and related two-celled figures in songs such as " Carnival Day ," ( Bartholomew 1949 ) and " Mardi Gras In New Orleans " ( Longhair 1949 ).

In his " Mardi Gras in New Orleans ," the pianist employs the 2-3 clave onbeat / offbeat motif in a rumba boogie " guajeo " ( below ).

Piano excerpt from the rumba boogie " Mardi Gras in New Orleans " ( 1949 ) by Professor Longhair.

The Hawketts, in " Mardi Gras Mambo " ( 1955 ) ( featuring the vocals of a young Art Neville ), make a clear reference to Perez Prado in their use of his trademark " Unhh!

Listen: " Mardi Gras Mambo " by the Hawketts ( 1955 ).

After three consecutive years of school bands, singer and comedienne Carol Channing led a tribute to Mardi Gras.

Actress and singer Carol Channing was featured during the halftime show that paid tribute to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday ; in English the day is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday, from the word shrive, meaning " confess.

Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida to Lafayette, Louisiana, have active Mardi Gras celebrations.

Flash was especially associated with an important break known as " The Bells "— a cut-up of the intro to Bob James's jazz cover of Paul Simon's " Take Me To The Mardi Gras "— while Bambaataa delighted in springing occasional rock music breaks from records like " Mary, Mary ", " Honky Tonk Women ", " Sgt.

Mardi Gras celebrations in rural Acadiana are distinct from the more widely known celebrations in New Orleans and other metropolitan areas.

With the money from the sale stuffed into a plastic tube hidden inside the Stars & Stripes-adorned fuel tank of Wyatt's California-style chopper, they ride eastward in an attempt to reach New Orleans, Louisiana, in time for Mardi Gras.

The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBT pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and from overseas.

Reflecting changes since the first Sydney Mardi Gras, participants in the Mardi Gras Parade now include groups of uniformed police officers from Australian Federal Police and New South Wales State Police, as well as interstate police officers, firefighters and other emergency services personnel from the Australian LGBTI community.

On the same date the organisation reverted to its former name, " Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras " ( from " New Mardi Gras "), as more than 9, 100 participants joined in the 2012 Parade, on 134 floats.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade enjoys extensive coverage from the media.

Mardi Gras has consistently attracted opposition from a variety of religious and political groups.

Cosplay is generally considered different from Halloween and Mardi Gras costume wear as the intention is to accurately replicate a specific character, rather than to reflect the culture and symbolism of a holiday event.

Piano excerpt from the rumba boogie " Mardi Gras in New Orleans " ( 1949 ) by Professor Longhair.

" Kyrie Eleison " from this record was used to back the dinner scene wherein Billy was trying to convince a grief-stricken Captain America to go to Mardi Gras in the movie Easy Rider.

This incident was parodied in a Saturday Night Live skit from their second season Mardi Gras special, the " Let's Hit Al Hirt in the Mouth with a Brick Contest ".

* " Rock The Bells " – Contains samples from " Pump Me Up " by Trouble Funk, " Take Me to the Mardi Gras " by Bob James, " Flick of the Switch " by AC / DC, and " Good Times " by Chic

* Mardi gras throws, or throws, are small gifts or trinkets passed out or thrown from New Orleans Mardi Gras parades to spectators lining the streets

On the Sunday night after Mardi Gras, Chienbäse is celebrated with a spectacular parade and bonfires, from which the celebration takes its name.