Fat Tuesday: Paradegoers Dressed In Colorful Carnival Costumes Around The World

If you celebrate Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, you have to dress in costume. Costuming is a tradition that is as old as Mardi Gras and remains a feature of Carnival season around the world. And tradition attracts new people each year, if the presence of gold glittery tights and colorful tutus among the crowds along Canal Street for Fat Tuesday’s parade was any indication, according to Nola.com.

For many paradegoers, the required attire for Mardi Gras is elaborate costumes and accessories.

Maurice Trosclair of Kenner dressed up as a horse in bondage gear. His wife wore a black leather ensemble and riding crop. The couple wanted to dress as a satirical version of the risqué movie Fifty Shades of Grey.

“We’ve been doing this for years, we gotta keep up the tradition. The best costumes are satirical, and have a little edge.”

Trosclair says that dressing in costume is an essential part of Fat Tuesday. “Instead of being a spectator, you become part of the show.”

In Mobile County, Alabama, it used to be a tradition for people to dress up or wear costumes on Fat Tuesday. While you don’t see a lot of people in costume, you do find some people wearing colorful hats and beads. The official colors of the Mobile’s Mardi Gras parade are purple and gold, according to Fox10TV.

There were some outfits that stood out. Resident Jessica Williams of Semmes said, “It’s a Mardi Gras tutu,” when asked what she was wearing. Meanwhile, one man wore a fake wolf’s head to the Fat Tuesday parade. You can expect to see plenty of hats in Alabama, but there were also plenty of bear masks.

Victoria, Texas hosted the Fat Tuesday Street Party, which donated all proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club of Victoria. Mamie Postel-Lara, 65, wore head-to-toe purple and gold, according to the Victoria Advocate. She also wore a Cleopatra-inspired beaded crown on her head that had white, gold and purple beads.

“This only comes out this week, and then it gets put away until next year. It is very rare, I have looked all over for it in New Orleans and online – can’t find another one like it.”

Postel-Lara added that she usually travels to Louisiana to celebrate the Mardi Gras festivities earlier in the month and celebrates Fat Tuesday in Victoria.

“People think that it’s just today, but Mardi Gras is celebrated weeks before. This is the one last big celebration. You enjoy the food and everything you love in life. Then tomorrow it’s all about fasting and abstaining from things.”

The Inquisitr recently reported some facts you may not know about Fat Tuesday. The celebration isn’t just limited to New Orleans. Other cities throughout the South celebrate Mardi Gras. It’s also a huge deal in St. Louis since it brings thousands of paradegoers to the city’s Soulard neighborhood.

Fat Tuesday also takes place around the world, including Rio de Janeiro where it’s called “Carnival.” This celebration brings two to three million people, according to the BBC.

Have you been to a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Mobile, Victoria, St. Louis, Rio or elsewhere? If so, what elaborate costume did you wear for Fat Tuesday? Share your comments below.

[Image: Infrogmation of New Orleans/Flickr]