When Fat Tuesday arrives in New Orleans this year it will be a little different. Usually more than a million people attend the Mardi Gras festivities on the streets of New Orleans. Due to COVID, they will celebrate a safe Mardi Gras this year. Parades are cancelled, but don’t fret, the holiday is still being celebrated, it’s just a little different this year, a smaller, safer way.
Homes Become Mardi Gras Floats
All the homes in New Orleans will be decorated like creative Mardi Gras floats. The Carnival season’s rituals and culture will be kept alive in many new ways as the city welcomes back tourists from around the world through a new virtual platform.
Decorate Your Home For Mardi Gras
Join in the festivities and decorate your home with this Mardi Gras door wreath.
Items Needed
- Grapevine Wreath
- Decorative Ribbon in Purple, Green, and Yellow
- Curly Ribbon – Purple, Yellow, and Green
- Card Stock
- Deco Art Acrylic Paint – Purple, Green, and Yellow
- Glitter Paint
- Sponge Brush
- Scissors
Directions
- Cut out masks from the card stock by tracing a pair of glasses and put points on each end.
- Paint the masks with the different color of paints.
- Let the paint dry.
- Add the glitter paint on top of the painted masks.
- Cut the decorative ribbon 6″ – 9″ long.
- Cut the curly ribbon around 24″ long.
- Use pipe cleaners or twist ties to tie the ribbon in the middle and tie it to the wreath.
- Tie the curly ribbon to the wreath and using the edge of your scissors, curl it.
- Add the masks to the wreath.
Mardi Gras Celebrations This Year
New Orleans spokesperson Kelly Schulz will be live high atop a Mardi Gras float at Mardi Gras World. It’s the museum and float den dedicated to all things Carnival located on New Orleans downtown riverfront. She will be talking about the unique holiday and what visitors can look forward to when they return to New Orleans.
2021 Mardi Gras Facts:
- Mardi Gras season begins on Twelfth Night (January 6) and lasts through Mardi Gras Day, which falls on Tuesday, February 16 this year.
- Mardi Gras in New Orleans typically means dancing in the streets, standing on the street making friends with strangers and watching endless Mardi Gras floats roll by, but this year many of the parade organizations (called Krewes) are doing scavenger hunts, drive-by events, virtual events and one parade will allow you to even catch virtual goodies on their unique app.
The King Cake Tradition
The traditional Mardi Gras confection with a tiny plastic baby doll symbolizing Jesus hidden deep inside the dough, is flowing in abundance this year as Carnival organizers find new ways to keep the Mardi Gras spirit alive.
King Cakes are oval-shaped to symbolize the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors – purple representing justice, green representing faith, and gold representing power.
Related – DIY Mardi Gras Party Decor
Welcome To New Orleans
Visitors are still welcome to New Orleans, but they must wear a mask, keep socially distant, wash their hands and adhere to the local guidelines.
Restaurants are open for dine in or take out, and special Mardi Gras packages are available at hundreds of New Orleans best eateries.
Create A Decorative Mardi Gras Face Mask
Items Needed
- Any Type Of Face Mask
- Deco Art Acrylic Paint – Purple, Green, Yellow
- Paint Brush
- Glitter Paint
Directions
- Using the back of a sponge brush, paint dots in the 3 colors all over the face mask.
- Fill in all the extra spots with the glitter paint.
- Let it dry 24 hours.
Mardi Gras Cocktails
Items Needed
- Orange Soda
- Blood Orange Sparkling Water
- 2 oz Rum
- Sliced Fruit – Lemons, Limes, Oranges
- Ice
Directions
- Add ice to the glass.
- Place the rum in the glass over the ice.
- Next, add the 2 sodas.
- Cut the fruit and add it to the drink.
What Is Fat Tuesday
Fat Tuesday is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday. It’s the start of the 40-day solemn Lenten season leading up to Easter Sunday.
Mardi Gras started in New Orleans the day Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville arrived in the area in 1699. He was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, and founder of the French colony of Louisiana in New France. The first parade dates back to the Krewe of Rex in 1857.
NOLA Hospitality SAFE
A community of local hospitality operators, business partners and guests. They are committed to keeping residents and visitors healthy while reopening the economy. Hotels, restaurants, musicians, and others have taken a pledge to follow COVID-19 reopening guidelines. These include wearing face coverings, following CDC-recommended sanitation practices, limiting capacity to allow for distancing and more. In turn, it’s asked that visitors make a similar pledge to ensure that the safety of everyone is top of mind.
For more information, please visit their website at How to Celebrate Mardi Gras 2021 in New Orleans