Travel:10 Things You Should Know about Mardi Gras

New Orleans has always seemed like a hot, sexy city with a lot of mystery and intrigue. I've never personally been to Louisiana. When I think of New Orleans, I think of "A StreetCar Named Desire", "Interview with a Vampire", music, ghosts, spicy food, ghosts, and the celebration of Mardi Gras.

I don't know if I will ever be in town for Mardi Gras. I tend to like to go to places during a more quiet time, but New Orleans is a place I would like to see and experience for myself. 


Travel: 10 Things You Should Know about Mardi Gras
Photo from Courtyard New Orleans Downtown Near French Quarter 


HinesSightBlog affiliate partner, Marriott.com  and Starwood.com has great rates when booked directly. 
Photo of  Renaissance New Orleans Arts Hotel 

Expect to pay $144 to $419 depending on the hotel you choose and availability. The JW Marriott is at the top tier for pricing and the best rates of all for New Orleans is that last week of March. Enjoy planning your trip. 

What would be my pick? Well, you know I love a Ritz-Carlton


Photo from Ritz-Carlton New Orleans


I always check to see if I could afford that hotel first. This New Orleans property is not part of the special I mentioned, but you could find some great packages including $50 hotel credit per stay beginning at $279 per night. You know I love to find you a lux deal. 


Photo by Marriott.com 

Louisiana-based, Community Coffee Company, worked with me to provide you some insights on Mardi Gras. In fact, I sipped on their limited-edition, Mardi-Gras King Cake blend, while writing this post. It was a great afternoon indulgence. No sugar for me. Just my favorite almond milk creamer that I'm still driving all over town to keep in stock. 

The origins of Mardi Gras in New Orleans can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice to evolve into the ornately costumed festivities we see today. There’s a lot of tradition and heritage that have helped to produce the Mardi Gras scene as it’s currently celebrated. 

According to Community Coffee staff, here are some good things to know to enjoy Mardi Gras like a native. 

Number 10 How to spell “krewe” and “flambeaux” and “Mardi Gras” and, well, you get the point. 

Number 9 Technically, Carnivale is a season, and Mardi Gras is a day. But we tend to generalize and refer to the weeks of parades leading up to Fat Tuesday as Mardi Gras. 

Number 8 The Mardi Gras colors are purple, green and gold. Remember to coordinate your outfit appropriately. 

Number 7 The Captain of the Krewe is more important than the King. But the King gets all the glory while the Captain does all the work. 

Number 6 If you miss a doubloon thrown from a float, never reach down to pick it up. Always put your foot on it. If you go with your hand, you're either too late or you'll get your fingers stepped on. 

Number 5 If you bite into a plastic baby in a King Cake, that's a good thing. 

Number 4 Any beads shorter than two feet long are unacceptable unless they are made of glass -- the bigger and longer the beads, the better. 

Number 3 Once any beads have touched the ground, they are sullied and should not be picked up unless under the rarest of circumstances. 

Number 2 The vast majority of people in the French Quarter during Carnivale are from out of town. 




The Number 1 thing you must know about Mardi Gras season is that Community© Mardi Gras King Cake coffee can help you celebrate anywhere.  For a limited time you can have your cake … and drink it, too. 




If you are in the Raleigh-area, LaFarm Bakery sells freshly-baked King Cakes as well as Lucettegrace in downtown Raleigh. Pastry chef,  Daniel Benjamin, was getting his colors today on social media. 




And for even more hotel stays visit Hotels.com, our new partner for great hotels. 



FTC Disclosure: Community Coffee supplied the research behind this post and pitched it to me along with some complimentary coffee that I've enjoyed drinking for the past two weeks. This post contains affiliate links and I personally found the great travel deals. Enjoy your trip. 

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