Mardi Gras 2014: Beads, Booze and Bad Weather

The boisterous celebration of Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, began on Tuesday. Rowdy parade-goers from around the world flocked to New Orleans to party all day and night

Despite pop culture’s portrayal, Fat Tuesday isn’t just about booze and plastic beads. The colorful festival is steeped in time-honored traditions; some of these customary rituals include eating pancakes, wearing colorful masks and electing a king of the Mardi Gras celebrations. It falls a day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and a 40-day period of abstinence for Christians.

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