Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Mardi Gras, the French term for "Fat Tuesday," is the annual festival in New Orleans that marks the final day before Lent and gives participants one last fling of self-indulgence and partying within a carnival atmosphere. Mardi Gras is filled with floats, streamers, colorful flags, music, wild costumes, pageants, and dancing in the French Quarter streets of the old American city. This 30-minute video examines the heritage, the traditions, and some of the excessive activities that participants of Mardi Gras engage in to maximize their pleasure prior to the period of self-denial and abstinence; the video includes colorful archival footage of this event with roots dating back to the 5th century.