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| Mardi Gras Costumes |
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The day before Ash Wednesday, people in New Orleans, Mobile, Rio de Janeiro, Venice, and many other parts of the world celebrate with a huge carnival. The day is known as Mardi Gras, and it includes vibrant parades and other events, which include people in elaborate and colorful costumes. Historically, Mardi Gras was the last day before the Christian Lent season started, and so people would hold parties to eat all of the fats, sweets, and other foods that were prohibited during Lent. Today, Mardi Gras is simply a time to celebrate life. Mardi Gras costumes are sometimes very intricate, but simply wearing a plain mask is also appropriate. The traditional colors used for Mardi Gras costumes are purple, green and gold. These colors stand for justice, faith, and power, respectively. Many events commonly ask attendees to dress up, and using these colors, as well as sequins, feathers, and other bright accessories is traditional. Masks are also an important part of the Mardi Gras tradition. In most of the cities were the celebrations are held on a large scale, there are strict laws against the uses of masks to conceal your identity. However, on the day of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), these laws are suspended. As a precaution, many businesses close. Banks are also closed, and some stores politely ask that people removed their masks before entering. Security is always on the forefront with any costume. Another integral part of the Mardi Gras costume are the beads. During the many parades, floats have these strings of beads thrown from them. The beads are colorful and often made from inexpensive plastic. There are, however, very colorful, and even if you choose not to design a costume, you can try to collect as many bead as possible. It is important to note that much of what is seen in the media is not the true full Mardi Gras experience. Many times, the news shows images of indecent exposure and sexually explicit costumes. While some of the tourist sections of town are more lenient toward such behavior, most of the costumes are very tasteful, and nudity of any kind if prohibited in most neighborhoods. Mardi Gras is a family event! Having a costume during this season is crucial if you're interested in attending the parades, the parties, and especially, the masquerade balls. This is a fun time of year where you can be someone you're not for the day. Article Written by: Peggy Schmitt |