February 15, 2010

Law Concealing One's Identity With a Mask: Mardi Gras Exception


One of the key traditions in the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration is the wearing of masks to conceal your identity while you party. THe masks are worn ad masked balls as well as parades and parties. Many resemble Venetian half-face masks with gems, feathers and colored paint.

Concealing your identitiy so you can freely Decadence is expected to be a key aspect of Mardi Gras and the mask helps cover the identity of partygoers whether tourists or locals. Masks are worn by Krewe members, tourists, and citizens during the last hours of Fat Tuesday. It is a way of indulging acts normally against the commuinity standards. Wearing the masks and being part of the festival embodies the idea of letting go of the flesh before Lent begins. Laws in the city that forbid wearing a mask to conceal your identity are suspended for that one day.

Law Concealing One's Identity With a Mask: Mardi Gras Exception
masquerade masks

Mardi Gras is a pre-Lent festival that celebrates humanity in disguise on the international level. From Europe to the Caribbean and the United States to Canada, Mardi Gras is a day of celebration right before Shrove Tuesday, or Ash Wednesday. The earliest accounts of Mardi Gras took place during the 14th and 15th century in Europe. Mardi Gras is actually a Catholic Holiday which has evolved to bigger celebrations and festivities in various parts of the world...

Law Concealing One's Identity With a Mask: Mardi Gras Exception

Posted at February 15, 2010 5:13 AM