NEW ORLEANS — As Carnival season 2025 approaches its peak, New Orleans and cities along the Gulf Coast are buzzing with vibrant parades and festivities. In New Orleans, grand processions with masked riders on vividly decorated floats will take over the main avenues starting Thursday night. These lively celebrations will continue daily up to Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, drawing huge crowds to the French Quarter and surrounding areas, with similar events being held in other Louisiana cities as well as throughout Mississippi and Alabama’s coastal regions.
**The Essence of Mardi Gras**
Mardi Gras, deeply embedded in both Christian and Roman Catholic roots, signifies a time of feasting and festivities leading up to Lent. This season begins on January 6 and culminates on Mardi Gras, a day substantial in joyous celebration before the commencement of Lent’s fasting on Ash Wednesday. In New Orleans, Carnival celebrations have evolved into grand secular events featuring street parties, luxurious balls, and highly anticipated parades. Some of these parades showcase technologically advanced floats equipped with elaborate light displays and intricate designs.
“It’s all about family. It’s like a six-mile-long block party and nothing could be more fun. It’s for everyone,” remarked Virginia Saussy from the Krewe of Muses, scheduled to parade on Thursday night. “You have to experience it firsthand to appreciate it.”
**Unique Mardi Gras Traditions**
In southwest Louisiana, the Courir de Mardi Gras, a Cajun French tradition, is a key event. In these rural processions inspired by medieval French customs, participants adorned in masks and costumes partake in activities like performance and commodity gathering. A peculiar highlight involves chasing live chickens for a communal gumbo feast.
In New Orleans, the Mardi Gras Indian tradition is a significant cultural element where some African Americans don embellished suits to parade through the city. Rooted in traditions from the late 1800s, it seeks to honor Native Americans who aided Black people and runaway slaves, developing amid the segregation era.
**Heightened Security Measures This Year**
Following a tragic truck attack on New Year’s Day that claimed 14 lives, New Orleans is boosting security measures for Mardi Gras, now classified with the highest risk rating by the Department of Homeland Security. According to Eric DeLaune, leading Mardi Gras security for Homeland Security Investigations, there will be a substantial increase in law enforcement presence this year. Using tactics previously employed during the Super Bowl in February, the city will station SWAT teams, armored vehicles, helicopters, and plainclothes agents strategically throughout the area. Over 600 police officers will be accompanied by numerous other law enforcement personnel from state and local levels.
“We’ve made concerted efforts to secure the carnival season while maintaining the integrity of Mardi Gras traditions,” DeLaune said, expressing his commitment to safeguarding the celebrations he has enjoyed since his youth.
**Additional Safety Protocols**
Crowds will swarm St. Charles Avenue to watch the parades featuring impressive floats and marching bands. To safeguard these revelers, authorities have implemented a “snake-like” arrangement of barricades to deter high-speed vehicles, while also allowing controlled traffic flow.
Drones are prohibited, and ice chests, which played a role in the January attack, are not allowed in the highly trafficked French Quarter area, stated Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges.
**Timing of Mardi Gras This Year**
The date for Mardi Gras varies yearly, ranging from February 3 to March 9, as it aligns with Easter’s occurrence. This year, falling on March 4, is among the later potential dates, bringing warmer weather expectations alongside the possibility of rain in the region.
**Parade Souvenirs—‘Throws’**
A cherished aspect of the Mardi Gras experience is the “throws,” which parade participants distribute to spectators. Commonly found are plastic bead necklaces, though some krewes, mindful of their environmental impact, are shifting towards more sustainable alternatives. The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club is especially famed for its coveted painted coconuts. At the Muses parade on Thursday, glittery, hand-decorated shoes will be highly sought after souvenirs.
Virginia Saussy recalls the unexpected popularity of a stiletto-themed bead initiated in Muses’ early years. “The first year we created a bead that was a stiletto shoe, and it was intended as a commemorative bead, but it became a sensation,” she explained. “It turns out, people have a huge affection for shoes!”
