Celebrating Mardi Gras in the US and beyond!

[Stephanie]

Hi everyone,

We are about to kick off a festival in many parts of the world and the biggest party of all is on February 25 with Mardi Gras! Originally brought to some Southern states of the US by the French, Mardi Gras is a well-known 5 day festival with bright colours, extravagant costumes and illustrious foods.

This Festival is celebrated all over the world too. In Italy, Germany, Spain and, of course, France, the celebrations go on with different events therein. We see an increase of tourists wanting to embrace the activity for either religious or entertainment purposes.

Are you celebrating, and are you preparing anything special for the event?

As a Brit, we don’t really do anything special until Pancake Day (25th Feb) so it’ll be very interesting to hear your perspectives.

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Trevor243]

Here on the Isle of Wight, we don't need Mardi Gras. We have a Pride event in the summer - Pride is a very big thing in the UK, events all over the UK.

Also, here on the Isle of Wight, every town has a carnival, a children's carnival and an illuminated carnival. In winter, there are also winter carnivals in many towns.

And that's on top of hundreds of events throughout the year, hundreds of tourist attractions, etc etc. I think we'll do just fine without Mardi Gras.

And bring on those pancakes! Lemon and sugar for me. As always, I'll make far too many, scoff them all anyway, then give up pancakes for Lent.

[J-Renato0]

Some people know of Rio Carnival !

There are some Brits that do something special during Carnival! 🙂
I had a Brit friend guest that used to come to Rio every year for Carnival.
Currently there are 3 young brits in one of my listings!
Till last monday there was another young british guy staying in another flat. He booked for some days that was available before carnival days. Since the carnival days it was already booked, he told me that after his stay in my property, he would be staying in a hotel to spend carnival days in Rio.

Actually my guests are more fond of Carnival than me. I do not care.

I have been to New Orleans and I was there when the city it was not crowed, out of Mardy Grass on purpose.
I have been also to Venice, out of Carnival dates as well. It is better to visit a city for the first time when the city is not crowed.

[Stephanie]

Hi @J-Renato0 ,

Haha!! Perhaps it's similar to the old adage - when you live in a tourist city, you never see the attractions yourself. There's several things in London that I haven't bothered with and I've been here for a decade. 

About crowds, you're absolutely right, it's best to go when you can get a real sense of the people and place. Perhaps a longer trip so you get to enjoy the festivities and the normality pre/after it.

Thanks for sharing such a cool story!

[J-Renato0]

@Stephanie 

His Royal Highness ! Cool and charismatic, is not he? Great moments of bygone days! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ltx2BvvgZo

[Silvia693]

That video is awesome! It made me smile and feel happy! Prince Charles was a normal guy one day! Love Carnaval! I’m from Uruguay and we have the longest one in the world, it last a whole month. 
check this out - Murga Uruguaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVMFygSlOdc&feature=share