For folks hitting New Orleans for Mardi Gras ’04, which culminates on Feb. 24, it’s all about the parades and the partying, but there is a traditional definition. “Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday,” explains New Orleans native Christian J. LeBlanc (Michael, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) of the annual event. “You get all your sinning out of the way, so that on Ash Wednesday you can go to church and repent.”But before you get to sinning, check out these tips from Krewe of Orpheus member and former Guest Monarch LeBlanc!Mardi Gras Must Dos (and Dont’s)
1) “Mardi Gras day, just start up somewhere on St. Charles Avenue and walk uptown. You’ll hit four or five parades and it’s the most fun.”2) “Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras day is a hoot. You will never see such well-organized chaos in your life. It’s so much fun. A lot of people who are crazed about crowds don’t like it, but that’s all Mardi Gras is.”3) “You’ve got to see Rex, the main parade and the King of Carnival.”4) “You’ve also got to see the Zulu Parade, which doesn’t have a proper route. It pretty much wanders around downtown. The Zulu king throws gold coconuts that are the best. One of my proudest moments was when I met the Zulu king and he gave me a gold coconut, which is very rare because they have to hand them to you. They used to be able to chuck the coconuts off the float and let them fall where they may, but we’re civilized now.”4) “You want to go to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (941 Bourbon St.). They have the best Hurricanes in the city, which is basically a killer tropical punch. It’s all sweet, sweet, sweet….till you wake up three days later!”5) “Do not just stay in the French Quarter, because there are so many other parts of the city that are so beautiful to explore during Mardi Gras.”Survival Tips
1) “Everyone gets so concerned about getting their beads. People will invest thousands of dollars in throws and, for those few days, they are the most precious thing in the city. You kill for them. They say you’re not supposed to pick the beads up off the ground once they’ve hit the mud or the sewer, but I’ve found some of those beads are really good, so I go get them. Once you wash those beads, they’re as damn good as any other.” (laughs)2) “If you’re going to show your breasts, make sure the beads are worth it. So many young ladies go to New Orleans and come back with dime-store plastic beads for all that effort.”3) “If you limit yourself to four Hurricanes an evening, you are less likely to find yourself on the Greyhound bus to Morgan City the next morning. Again, four’s the limit! If you’re from out of state or a dry county, you might consider three.”4) “Never take your mask off. It will prevent a lot of problems later on, once you’ve sobered.”5) “If you can avoid it, don’t drive. Why bother?”6) “Do not go on a diet, at all, while you’re down there. If you’re on one, leave that behind. The food is amazing.”7) “Spend lots of money in New Orleans, because we need lots of money!”
