Mardi Gras 2025 Brings Festive Parades and Vibrant Celebrations to New Orleans

The iconic Fat Tuesday festivities showcase grand parades, colorful traditions, and heightened security measures in the French Quarter.

Mardi Gras, rooted in Christian and pagan traditions, culminates on Fat Tuesday, marking the start of the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday.
New Orleans hosts some of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations, with parades like Krewe of Zulu and Krewe of Rex drawing massive crowds.
The city enhanced security efforts this year, particularly in the French Quarter, following a terrorist attack on New Year's Eve.
Mardi Gras traditions include extravagant costumes, live music, and the distribution of 'throws' such as beads and trinkets from parade floats.
The celebration extends beyond New Orleans, with global observances in countries with significant Roman Catholic populations.