Today is the day people in many parts of the world celebrate Mardi Gras Day.
This just learned: The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions consider Mardi Gras the entire period between Epiphany or Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday. See? There's an excuse for not starting that diet and exercise at the New Year, if there ever was such a good one!
I haven't been able to find anything short and definitive about why masks are such a tradition for Carnival, but it probably has something to do with facing your family and neighbors the next day.
King cake is a tasty tradition. The "kings," in this instance refer to the Magi, or the three wise men who are associated with Epiphany.
The most prolific item to be found in New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration has to be the Mardi Gras beads. Happily there is more than, ahem, that way to obtain Mardi Gras beads. (It's in the linked Wikipedia article--though no photo, so it's SFW.) I always got mine through the Goodwill or at various Portland festivals, none of which required any semblance of disrobing. Now, I learn all one needs to do is shout, "Throw me something, Mister!" at passing krewe members during the parades. Good to know, eh. And that there are crafty ways to recycle those beads after the party!
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
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