Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Put on your mask and start begging for beads -- it's time for Mardi Gras. Take a look at how New Orleans and hundreds of people celebrate this festive occasion every year.

Partygoers and parade bystanders get excited as a float -- paying homage to the fairytale <i>Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</i> -- rolls down Canal Street for the Rex parade. New Orleans lights up with excitement every year for Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Mardi Gras started in Louisiana in the late 17th century when the area was under French colonial rule.