Mardi Gras (26 photos)

Mardi Gras (French mardi gras, literally - "fat Tuesday"), Tuesday in Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Catholic Great Lent. The world analogue of the Slavic holiday Maslenitsa. It is celebrated in many European countries (France, Czech Republic, Belgium, etc.), in the USA and in other countries. Of the cities in the United States, the most massive and magnificent celebrations take place in New Orleans.

1. Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club walk down St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans for the February 16 Mardi Gras, a traditional African-American carnival that has been held for more than a hundred years. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

2. A trio dressed as Vampire Marie Antoinette on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

3. Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club throw trinkets into the crowd at the St. Charles Avenue parade during the Mardi Gras celebration. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

4. Former Cardinals football team forward Conrad Dobler (left) and former head coach Jim Hanifan laugh before the start of the Mardi Gras parade in St. Louis. In the parade, considered the second largest in the country, they are serving as marshals this year. (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

5. Thousands of people take part in their favorite holiday. The photo was taken from the balcony of the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

6. Mardi Gras parade on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

7. Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club throw souvenirs into the crowd at a parade on Canal Street in New Orleans on February 16. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

8. Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

9. A girl in a colorful feather headdress distributes beads at the Carrollton Parade on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans on February 7. The highlight of the parade season is Mardi Gras, which this year falls on February 16th. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

10. Katherine and John Blyth from New Orleans celebrate Mardi Gras. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

11. Street performers parade in the French Quarter at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

12. Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club throw beads into the crowd on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans for Mardi Gras on February 16. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

13. Pete Fountain, in a white tuxedo and gold-patterned hat, opens the 50th Mardi Gras Carnival with his Semi-Fast Marching Club in New Orleans. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

14. Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club ride a moving platform in a parade down Canal Street. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

15. Thousands of people filled Bourbon Street in the city's French Quarter. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

16. People celebrate Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

17. Spectators are drawn to the beads and other trinkets thrown by the Zulu at the parade on St. Charles Avenue. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

18. Members of the Zulu society and club hold two symbolic coconuts - the badge of their club - in the parade. (UPI/A.J. Sisco)

19. Louis Mayor Francis Slay throws beads at a crowd of spectators from a moving platform at the Mardi Gras parade on February 13. (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

20. A moving platform with actors mocking recent local political scandals travels down St. Charles Avenue. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

21. Participants in the Carrollton parade throw beads on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans on February 7. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

22. Initially, it was a costume show to celebrate the arrival of spring in the French Quarter of New Orleans, which aroused the curiosity of onlookers. Over the years, the carnival became more and more crowded, with brightly colored horse-drawn floats appearing. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

23. A parade participant on a moving platform throws beads and other trinkets to the spectators on February 7 on Napoleon Avenue. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

24. The legend tells that the brother of the heir to the Russian throne, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, who was in love with the American actress Lydia Thompson, followed her to New Orleans just before the holiday. The organizers of the carnival, having learned about the visit of a person of royal blood, prepared a special platform with the inscription "Rex" (king). Thus, Alexei Romanov turned out to be the king of the holiday. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

25. According to this version, since then, namely since 1872, the canons of this noisy, mischievous, bright festival have finally been established: every year the carnival is headed by the “king” and “queen”, who, in masks and costumes, ride on a huge decorated platform with their entourage. In response to the traditional cries of the excited crowd "Throw us something!" they scatter large pewter coins, plastic rosaries and other trinkets. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)

26. The tradition of Mardi Gras goes back to pre-Christian pagan rituals: seeing off Winter and meeting Spring, electing the king and queen (prototypes of the Father and Mother, images characteristic especially for Celtic culture) of the holiday, burning the totem doll, eating solar symbols (in Russia these are pancakes) etc. (UPI / A.J. Sisco)