Mardi Gras is generally celebrated with spectacular parades featuring floats, pageants, elaborate costumes, masked balls and dancing in the streets. Mardi Gras and other pre-Lenten carnivals are celebrated predominantly in Roman Catholic communities in Europe and the Americas. New Orleans, Louisiana holds the most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Help students identify these locations on a map or globe. Mardi Gras is generally celebrated for a full week before Lent.
Some residents say that the two parades remain separate because of tradition.
Traditionally, Louisiana's population came from two different cultures. The white parade identifies with and celebrates the local French Cajun culture, while the black parade identifies with and celebrates the African and Creole cultures. Answers will vary. It includes information about the city's history, culture, transportation system, weather and more.