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| New Orleans (Updated April 23, 2008) |
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 I have not visited New Orleans in a few years. What can I expect? |
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 There has never been a better time to visit New Orleans, for business or pleasure. The French Quarter is cleaner than ever before, we have a fresher hotel product, more restaurants, millions of dollars in improvements to the Convention Center and Superdome, and better hospitality, blended with the same culturally authentic, sensory experience visitors have loved for decades.
We have successfully hosted major events with millions of visitors, such as 57th Annual NBA All-Star Game, 2008 Mardi Gras, Allstate BCS National Championship, Allstate Sugar Bowl, State Farm Bayou Classic, Voodoo Music Experience, Southern Decadence, ESSENCE Festival, Jazz Fest and major conventions are happening everyday.
In 2008, New Orleans will host a series of major city-wide conventions, nationally televised sporting events and world-renown music and cultural festivals, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors. |
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| What is the media reporting about New Orleans as a visitor destination? |
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| • New Orleans was chosen as one of the top 10 places to go in 2008 by Sherman’s Travel.
• StudentUniverse.com, an online travel agency specializing in trips for college students, chose New Orleans as one of its top 10 domestic spring break destinations of 2008.
• Travel + Leisure Magazine’s January 2007 issue included New Orleans in its “Where to Go Next” feature.
• The Los Angeles Times (Feb. 4, 2007) named New Orleans one of the worlds “don’t miss destinations.”
• The Today Show’s “America the Beautiful” series September 6, 2007 featured New Orleans and the Gulf Coast as number two on its list of 10.
• In October 2007, New Orleans was featured in CNN and Travel + Leisure magazine’s “America’s Favorite Cities” survey results. New Orleans placed in the top three of the country’s best in many categories, including best live music, friendliest people and food/dining.
• Travelocity named New Orleans one of 2007’s top 10 favorite gourmet destinations in the world.
• In December 2006, Orbitz described New Orleans as an “in” location for experience seeking vacationers. |
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| What are my hotel choices? |
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| There are 33,500 hotel rooms available in New Orleans, including small boutique treasures in the French Quarter, charming bed and breakfast properties, major downtown hotel towers and much more. Thanks to practically city-wide hotel refurbishments and upgrades, New Orleans has one of the freshest hotel products of any major city. According to Greater New Orleans Inc., $400 million has been spent on hotel upgrades and renovations in the metro New Orleans area. |
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| What are my restaurant choices? |
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| There are 905 restaurants open in New Orleans today, which is more than ever before. All of your favorites such as Mr. B’s, Camellia Grill, Emeril’s, Galatoire’s and Commander’s Palace are ready to indulge your senses, in addition to several new restaurants. |
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| What are my options for shopping? |
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| Our shops and boutiques - from the French Quarter to Magazine Street - offer the finest and most eclectic shopping options in the U.S. Options include The Shops at Canal Place, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Riverwalk, Jax Brewery, as well as hundreds of boutiques, art galleries and antique stores throughout the city. Tax-free shopping is available for international visitors. |
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| What are my options for attractions and museums? |
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| The arts scene is exploding and our galleries are among the finest in North America. The Contemporary Arts Center celebrated the annual Whitney White Linen Night in August 2007, an event that celebrates the arts scene in New Orleans’ Warehouse District, which welcomed thousands. There are many cultural attractions, such as: plantation homes, riverboat cruises, city tours, Mardi Gras World, Café Du Monde, Cabildo State Museum, New Orleans Historic Collection, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Audubon Zoo, National World War II Museum, Harrah’s Casino and its entertainment-filled Fulton Street Promenade, New Orleans Museum of Art, Bestoff Sculpture Garden, National World War II Museum, Contemporary Arts Center, Louisiana Children’s Museum, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Orleans Ballet and much more. The insectarium will open in 2008. |
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| What are my options for family activities? |
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| New Orleans is rich in family attractions, including the Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Zoo Louisiana State Museum, the Children’s Museum and much more. There also are many tours, ranging from walking tours of the French Quarter to swamp, cemetery, and ghost tours. |
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| Will it be difficult to get flights to and from New Orleans? |
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| There are plenty of flights into New Orleans! Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, as of March 2008, reports 137 flights serving 37 cities. Beginning May 1, 2008, there will be 138 flights serving 38 cities; JetBlue will add one daily nonstop flight from Boston to New Orleans.
The New Orleans CVB and the Armstrong International Airport continue to work with national airlines to ensure that groups with large numbers of arrivals can travel to and from the city in a convenient and timely fashion. Through dialogue with the airlines, additional flights have been added and larger planes have been used when extra airlift is needed for a particular event.
New service from Southwest Airlines added 1,000 daily seats (eight daily nonstop roundtrip flights) to New Orleans in November 2007. Airlines operating out of the Armstrong International Airport include: Air Tran, American Airlines, Continental, Delta Air Lines, ExpressJet, Jet Blue, Northwest, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and U.S. Airways. ExpressJet offers non-stop service to Austin, San Antonio, Kansas City, Mo., Jacksonville and Raleigh-Durham with 10 flights per day.
The Armstrong International Airport has been busy making several enhancements to its facility. To improve customer service, the airport has been making external terminal improvements to the building including the paving, lighting and replacement of terminal roadway signage. There will also be increased walkways areas near the curbside check-in locations. Inside the terminals, the public areas, including ticket lobbies, baggage claim and terminal concourses are also being refurbished, in addition to lighting and door and window units. |
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| What are my options for taxis, airport shuttles, buses and streetcars? |
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| There are thousands of taxis available on New Orleans streets and at major hotels. Taxi rates are $2.50 plus $1.60 per mile (.20 per one-eighth mile) thereafter. There is also an additional charge of $1.00 per passenger after the first passenger. During peak visitor times (including Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest) taxi rates are $4 per person or the meter rate, whichever is higher. A fixed rate of $28 (one to two people) is charged from the airport to most areas of New Orleans. For parties of more than two, the fare is $12 per person.
RTA services are $1.25, including bus transportation and the streetcar. Twenty-nine bus lines are running, providing 25,000 rides daily. Bus service allows transportation throughout the city’s major corridor, extending from the Faubourg Marigny to Riverbend.
The New Orleans Streetcar line is back in service, including the leg traveling on Canal Street from the Mississippi River to Mid-City, and from Canal Street north on Carrollton Avenue to City Park at Wisner Boulevard. The Riverfront line is also running. A leg from Canal Street runs down historic St. Charles Avenue and extends through the Garden District, to Carrollton Avenue.
Airport Shuttle, Inc., is the official ground transportation for Armstrong International Airport, with service to and from New Orleans’ hotels and other designated locations. Fare is $13.00 each way. No reservations are required. |
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| What are my options for cruises? |
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| The Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, RiverBarge Excursion Lines and the Majestic American (American Queen) are sailing from New Orleans. |
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| What's new at the Convention Center? |
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| With $60 million in renovations completed, the New Orleans Morial Convention Center is sporting a brand new look and level of comfort. Renovations include new flooring and furnishings on all three levels, hotel-like finishes, and a brighter, more engaging environment. The same great service and amenities that made the New Orleans Morial Convention Center an industry leader are better than ever: 3.1 million total square feet of space; high speed wi-fi, 4,000-seat Conference Auditorium, 12 separate/combinable exhibit halls, 140 meeting rooms and a team of seasoned industry professionals. The Center did brisk business in 2007---hosting 94 major conventions, tradeshows and meetings. |
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| What convention groups has New Orleans recently hosted? |
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| • The American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) International Stroke Conference with the State-of-the-Art Stroke Nursing Symposium, was held on February 19-22, 2008. AHA’s Annual Scientific Sessions, is slated for New Orleans, November 9-12, 2008, with an approximate attendance of 27,500.
• Pennwell Corporation’s POWER-GEN International was held in New Orleans December 11-13, with approximately 17,000 attendees.
• The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), National League of Cities (NLC) and Diversified Business Communications’ International Workboat Show all enjoyed successful meetings and conventions in New Orleans during November 2007. AAO welcomed approximately 22,000 attendees and NLC’s final attendance was 4,742.
• The Workboat Show, which announced during their visit that they would return to New Orleans in 2008, had a 10 percent increase in exhibit space and a 7.5 percent increase in attendance over 2006.
• The American College of Cardiology (ACC) met in New Orleans March 24-27, 2007 for its 56th Annual Scientific Session and i2 Summit. With 26,250 attendees, the meeting was New Orleans’ largest since 2005. The conference received rave reviews from ACC leadership and members.
• The Pittsburg Conference & Expo (Pittcon®) held their annual meeting in New Orleans from March 1-6, 2008. The 59th conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy was a city-wide convention with approximately 20,000 attendees.
• Corporate America is re-discovering New Orleans as a meeting destination, bringing new, shorter-term meetings business to the city in 2007. Whirlpool, Coca-Cola, Konica Minolta, Sherwin Williams and many others have been drawn to New Orleans for the wealth of “voluntourism” community service opportunities available to expand corporate philanthropic efforts. (For example: Habitat for Humanity projects are being added to corporate meeting agendas.) |
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| What groups are holding meetings in New Orleans in 2007 and early 2008? |
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| Event/Date/Projected Attendance
Allied Social Sciences Association/Jan. 3-5/8,000
American Farm Bureau/Jan. 12-15/5,000
Helen Brett Enterprises/Feb. 8-12/15,000
American Traffic Safety Services Association/Feb. 9-12/4,720
The Minerals Metals Materials Society/Mar. 8-12/3,000
American Physical Society/Mar. 9-13/7,300
Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development/Mar. 14-17/12,500
NACE, International/Mar. 16-20/5,500
American Chemical Society/Apr. 6-9/14,000
Population Association of America/Apr. 16-18/3,197
American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists/May 1-9/8,900
Helen Brett Enterprises/May 16-21/15,000
National Cable & Telecommunications Association/May 17-20/14,000
Society of Nuclear Medicine/June 13-17/7,000
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools/June 22-24/4,000
Institute of Food Technologists/June 28-July 1/20,000
Essence Festivals, LLC/July 3-5/28,221
Jazzercise/July 10-11/4,000
U.S. Department of Labor/July 14-16/3,500
American Veterinary Medical Association/July 18-22/7,500
National Conference of State Legislatures/July 22-26/8,000
Louisiana Restaurant Association/Aug. 1-3/16,000
Shaklee/Aug. 6-9/10,000
American Correctional Association/Aug. 9-13/10,725
Blacks in Government/Aug. 10-15/5,000
American Public Works Association/Aug. 16-19/6,500
American Heart Association/Nov. 9-12/27,500
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists/Nov. 18-22/4,000
Helen Brett Enterprises/Nov. 21-24/15,000
Diversified Business Communications/Dec. 3-5/4,000 |
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| Is New Orleans a safe place for visitors? |
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| Yes. Tourist areas are as safe as those in any big city.
The ratio of police to citizens is actually higher today:
Pre-Katrina Police Force Post Katrina Police Force
Number of Officers – 1,680 Number of Officers – 1,406
Number of Citizens – 455,000 Number of Citizens – 322,000
Ratio Police/Citizens – 1:270 Ratio Police/Citizens – 1:213
In 2007, New Orleans safely hosted approximately 6 million visitors. So far in 2008, New Orleans has successfully hosted two college bowl games, hundreds of thousands of visitors for Mardi Gras and anticipates a prosperous 2008 with record-breaking attendance at major sporting events, cultural festivals and large conventions.
New Orleans’ popular tourist areas such as the French Quarter, Downtown/Central Business District, Uptown, Garden District, Magazine Street, Warehouse/Arts District and Convention Center Boulevard continues to remain one of the most walk able places for visitors of any city in America.
Testimonials from leisure visitors and travel industry professionals are available here: www.neworleanscvb.com/static/index.cfm/contentID/752/sectionID/2/subsectionID/752
Testimonials from business travelers and convention visitors are available here: www.neworleanscvb.com/static/index.cfm/contentID/744/sectionID/3/subsectionID/744
Unfortunately--as in any major city--crime does exist, and in New Orleans, the vast majority of violent crime is targeted criminal-on-criminal acts, which occur in areas of the city not frequented by tourists.
The New Orleans Police Department is known nationally for its record in making New Orleans a safe place to visit, ranging from large-scale crowd control events such as Mardi Gras, to four or five individuals enjoying a weekend getaway. Today the police to citizen ratio is much higher than it was
pre-Katrina, and we have backup from a new police recruit class, the National Guard and state police troopers to maintain a visible and serious law-enforcement presence.
As with any destination, we recommend that vacationers and convention attendees practice common sense and stay in well-populated tourist areas when they are here. New Orleans remains a national treasure and we want everyone who visits it to have a safe and enjoyable time.
Safety Tips:
1. Travel along main thoroughfares and keep in well-lit, populated areas, as you would in any major American city.
2. Avoid carrying a purse when possible. Do not display large amounts of cash in public places.
3. Remove name badges and convention items when not attending functions.
4. Stow valuables out of sight in your vehicle.
5. When parking on the street, do so in heavily trafficked areas. Read parking signs to avoid tickets and towing.
6. Parking meters and kiosks operate from 8am-6pm Monday thru Friday and are 25 cents for 12 minute increments with a 2 hour maximum.
7. When parking in a lot or garage, only conduct business with an authorized attendant who has clearly marked and visible identification. If parking with a valet, ask for a claim check for your keys.
8. If you have been drinking, consider taking a taxi.
9. Do not participate in shell games and beware of any offering shoeshines or betting they can “tell you where you got them shoes.”
10. Always go with a group when touring any of our cemeteries. Most cemeteries close at 3pm.
11. Remember that most laws enforced in your city are enforced here as well. |
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| How has the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau prepared for hurricane season? |
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| The New Orleans CVB Tourism Crisis Management Plan, along with diligent and thorough preparation with an emphasis on safety, will assist visitors in responding appropriately to emergencies. The City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana have implemented a unified emergency communications plan to ensure the timely flow of information across the region in emergency situations. A comprehensive and effective citywide emergency communications plan for the Greater New Orleans tourism industry has been developed for visitors. |
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| What are my options should I need medical care while visiting? |
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| Hospitals convenient to tourist areas are:
• Touro Infirmary, 1404 Foucher St., 504-897-7011, www.touro.com
• Tulane University Hospital and Clinic, 1415 Tulane Ave., 504-988-5800, www.tuhc.com
• Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital, 1514 Jefferson Highway, 800-874-8984, www.ochsner.org/frontpage/default.htm
• Children’s Hospital, 200 Henry Clay Ave., 504-899-9511, www.chnola.org |
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| What's new at the Superdome? |
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| The Louisiana Superdome, one of America's most recognizable landmarks, had a spectacular schedule of big-time football last fall. New Orleans was the first city to host three major college post-season games after the same season. The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl was in the Dome on Friday, December 21, 2007, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic was played Tuesday, January 1, 2008 and the Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played Monday, January 7, 2008. At the neighboring New Orleans Arena, the New Orleans Hornets have returned full-time to the city for the 2007-2008 season, and the Arena was the site of the NBA All-Star Game Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008. |
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| How is the city advertising and marketing to tourists? |
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| In January 2007, the New Orleans CVB launched an aggressive, strategic marketing, public relations and direct sales campaign, “Forever New Orleans” designed to celebrate its authentic culture, lure domestic and international visitors back, preserve the city’s leading industry (hospitality) and overcome misperceptions about New Orleans among consumers.
In 2007, the New Orleans CVB launched the new Web site, 24NOLA, an interactive Web site and itinerary-planning tool for visitors who want to experience New Orleans culture as locals do. In January 2008, www.24nola.com won the prestigious “Best in Show” Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
“Forever New Orleans,” a 30-minute travel television show hosted by Karen Carlson, showcasing the eclectic nature and vibrant culture of the city, aired during the fall of 2007 in 51 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, reaching 119 million homes. Forever New Orleans TV aired in the United States on the Travel Channel's paid programming block Sunday, April 6, 13 and 20, 2008, 8:30 a.m. Eastern and Pacific (7:30 a.m. Central) and continues on April 27, 2008. |
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| What options are available to volunteer to help a neighborhood that was affected by Hurricane Katrina? |
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| From convention visitors to leisure travelers, church groups to high school and college students, people have shown incredible generosity in giving of their time and talent, and a great deal of elbow grease, helping the city of New Orleans in its recovery and restoration. The office of Lt.Governor has formed an official organization that matches volunteer opportunities with volunteers, called Volunteer Louisiana. Visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov to get started. |
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| I continue to see and read so many negative stories about New Orleans in the national press that it makes me question whether it is ok for me to visit. |
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| To read some of our positive news stories, please visit http://www.neworleanscvb.com/articles/index.cfm/action/articles/typeID/2. Since Hurricane Katrina two and a half years ago, New Orleans has remained under intense media scrutiny, particularly on the outlying neighborhoods that are still rebuilding. These areas are completely unrelated to popular tourist areas and our ability to successfully host major meetings and welcome visitors.
Seeing is Believing!
Now is the perfect opportunity to rediscover New Orleans ... the most authentic, walkable, historic, soulful destination in America. For visitor testimonials or more information, please visit www.foreverneworleans.com. |
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| Mardi Gras |
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| Is the Success of Mardi Gras Measured by the Amount of Trash Collected? |
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| No. Before the age of recycling, the success of Mardi Gras in Orleans Parish was sometimes jokingly measured by the amount of trash collected by the New Orleans Sanitation Department. For several years in the late 1980s, the total for the 12-day parading season topped the 2,000-ton mark. |
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| Is Mardi Gras Elitist? |
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| Not any more. While wealthy white males once controlled Carnival (and most of America), Mardi Gras is one of the nation's most diverse institutions and it offers a rich cultural experience to participants and spectators. |
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| How Do I Get to be King? |
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| If you're not a krewe member or a celebrity, you don't. The method of selecting Mardi Gras royalty varies from krewe to krewe. The King of Carnival is chosen by the inner circle of the School of Design, the sponsoring organization for the Rex parade. Some krewes hold random drawings to pick their king or queen. Most clubs charge the selected monarch a fee to reign. In several of the newer krewes, elaborate ceremonies called "coronation balls" are staged to crown their royalty. |
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| What is the story of the umbrella? |
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| The Story of the Umbrella dates back to around 1830, when the black community sang slow spirituals behind a funeral. After the burial the umbrellas were brought out and twirled to lively music, signaling that the soul of the deceased was now in heaven and happiness prevailed. We now use umbrellas for all occasions, from weddings to sporting events. Source: Everything N'Awlins, 2003 |
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| Why Does the Date of Mardi Gras Change? |
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| Because it's connected to the moveable date of Easter, which can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25. Mardi Gras is scheduled 47 days preceding Easter and can occur on any Tuesday from February 3 through March 9. |
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| When Was the First Mardi Gras Parade Held in New Orleans? |
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| On February 24, 1857. The Mistick Krewe of Comus, Carnival's first secret society, coined the word "krewe" and was the first to choose a mythological namesake, to present a themed parade with floats, and to follow it with a tableaux ball. |
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| Is it True Mobile Celebrated Mardi Gras before New Orleans? |
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| Yes and no. New Orleans' first Carnival krewe was founded in 1857 by former members of Mobile's Cowbellian de Rakin Society, which was founded in 1830. However, Mobile's parades were held on New Year's Eve until 1866, when they switched to Fat Tuesday. |
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| Krewes Are Named after What? |
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| The colorful worlds of Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology are the sources of nearly half of the parading krewe names. Other clubs are named after the neighborhoods through which they travel, while some are named after historical figures or places. |
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| What Do the Carnival Colors Mean? |
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| Purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and gold signifies power. Rex, the King of Carnival, selected them in 1872 for his first parade. While they were probably chosen simply because they looked good together, Rex assigned a meaning to each in his 1892 parade, entitled "Symbolism of Colors." |
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| What Are Balls and Why Can't I Go? |
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| Carnival balls are private formal affairs (tuxedos and long gowns required) and are by invitation only. Bals Masque (masked balls) in New Orleans predate the first parade by more than a century. More than 125 private balls are presented each season in the city's Municipal Auditorium and in the grand ballrooms of major hotels. Mock royalty reigns over each ball, where a king, queen, maids and dukes are presented. In the older society krewes, the court is made up of debutantes. Some clubs stage "tableaux" (theatrical scenes) enacted by krewe members, and favors are given to special guests. Krewes such as Bacchus, Orpheus, Endymion and Zulu have replaced the traditional ball with extravaganzas presented at the Louisiana Superdome and at the Morial Convention Center. Tickets are sold to these events. |
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| What's the Theme for this Year? |
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| There is no general theme for Mardi Gras, but each individual parade depicts a specific subject. The floats then reflect the krewe's theme for that year. Maskers are costumed in a manner that illustrates the overall parade theme and the individual float title. Among the more popular subjects have been history, children's stories, legends, geography, famous people, entertainment, mythology and literature. |
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| Do I Have to Mask? |
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| No, but you should, at least on Fat Tuesday, the only day when street masking is legal (from dawn to dusk). Masking, which can be elaborate or makeshift, dates from Roman carnivals when assuming false identifies was a common practice. By law, float riders must be masked at all times. |
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| Is Secrecy Still a Part of Carnival? |
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| Yes. While many Carnival clubs are fairly accessible (some even have websites), most maintain the tradition of secrecy that has been a part of Mardi Gras since its earliest days. A unique custom in the older organizations is that the king's name is never made public. An exception is Rex, whose name is revealed the day before his parade. And while many in the media know his identity days in advance, the embargo on publishing it has never been violated. |
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| What about Celebrities? |
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| The Krewe of Bacchus began the tradition of selecting celebrity kings with its first parade in 1969, when Danny Kaye reigned. Endymion and Orpheus also annually invite guest celebrities to ride in their parades. Some of the more popular stars to have appeared are Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, Wayne Newton, John Goodman, Jackie Gleason, Britney Spears, Kirk Douglas, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Cage and the Beach Boys. In most cases visiting stars are not paid to ride, although the krewes do cover their expenses. |
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| Has Mardi Gras Ever Been Canceled? |
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| Yes, but not often. Since 1857, only 13 Fat Tuesdays have been effected. Most cancellations were caused by wars: Civil, WWI, WWII and Korean. |
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| Is Mardi Gras Really X-rated? |
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| No, it is not. Unfortunately, the wild antics of visiting coeds on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter have gained such publicity that they have become the national image of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is generally a safe, G-rated event enjoyed by families. The festivities provide an opportunity for adults to act like kids again. |
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| What Makes Mardi Gras Parades Different? |
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| Throws! Baubles tossed from floats turn New Orleans parades into crowd participation events. It is not uncommon for a float rider to spend $500 or more on beads, cups and doubloons, which are freely thrown to parade viewers. |
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| Is Mardi Gras Staged for Visitors? |
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| Not really. While the "greatest free show on earth' draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, that is not its purpose. Mardi Gras is a party the city throws for itself. It has developed into a world-class tourist attraction, yet the City of New Orleans doesn't spend a cent promoting it. |
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| What Companies Sponsor Mardi Gras? |
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| They don't. Mardi Gras is the only entertainment venue in the world where the stars foot the bill and the audience gets a free ride. By tradition and by law, Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans may not be corporately sponsored. Carnival clubs are chartered as nonprofit organizations. They are financed by dues, by the sale of krewe-emblemed merchandise to the members, and by fundraising projects such as bingos. |
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| Why Can't I Buy an Official Mardi Gras Poster? |
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| There is no such thing. Unlike the Olympics or the SuperBowl, there is no governing authority to license products. Mardi Gras is like Christmas and Halloween -- it belongs to everyone. Beware of any item that bears the title "official." The claim (and the product?) are bogus. Free enterprise reigns supreme over Mardi Gras, making it a virtual paradise for entrepreneurs who compete for counter space and the attention of the public. |
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| Who Coordinates Mardi Gras? |
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| No one. While city governments issue parade permits, there is no overall authority that coordinates the five dozen parades held in the metro area during the 12 days that precede Fat Tuesday. Each parading organization is completely autonomous. |
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| Is Mardi Gras Really Connected to Religion? |
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| Yes. The Catholic Church licensed Carnival, which means "farewell to flesh," as a period of feasting before the fasting of Lent. The Church also established the set date for the start of the Carnival season -- January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany -- and the fluctuating date of Mardi Gras. |
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