As people head back to work this Tuesday after the long holiday weekend, New Orleans is celebrating Mardi Gras with beads flying, crawfish boiling, and parades rolling.
Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, marks the climax and end of the week-long Carnival season, offering a final chance for indulgence, feasting and revelry.
This joyous farewell to Carnival always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, preceding the Christian Lent period of sacrifice and reflection.
