Why mardi gras masks

Mardi Gras masks in particular originated in ritual celebrations. New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras for hundreds of years, and is the largest masked party in North America. In the beginning, masks worn during Mardi Gras allowed wearers to escape society and class constraints. When wearing a mask, carnival goers were free to be whomever they wanted to be, and mingle with whatever class they desired to mingle with.

His name is Rex, the king of the Carnival, and he first ascended to the throne in Army officer George Armstrong Custer during a planned hunting expedition in the Midwest. He is given the symbolic Key to the City by the Mayor. Members of the Krewe of Zulu hand out hand-painted coconuts to revelers as they travel down St. The first coconuts were left in their original hairy state, but years later, Zulu members started painting and decorating them. Getting a Zulu coconut is one of the most sought after traditions during Mardi Gras.

Join the Discussion. Masks have been a major part of the Mardi Gras festivities for as long as it has been celebrated. Masks have been a part of Mardi Gras since the early s; however, from the s to , masks were forbidden during the celebrations.

The original purpose of Mardi Gras masks was to protect the identity of revelers, men who went door to door to sing, dance and beg for offerings to make a communal gumbo. Today, Mardi Gras masks are worn by "Krewes" the term for party organizers to protect the identity of Krewe members, and by revelers and ball attendees.

Failure to wear a mask while riding on a float would even result in members of the krewe getting fired, especially from the famous Endymion and Zulu parades of the city.

Today, many of the Mardi Gras masquerade masks worn closely resemble those of the Carnival of Venice. One of the striking differences is that traditional Mardi Gras masks contain three colors: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold, which represents power.

These masks continue to remain a crucial part of Mardi Gras, allowing festival goers to act like whomever they want for the few weeks a year that the celebration lasts. If we always tried to be one single self, without our masks, the world would grind to a halt. With them, the world proceeds from self to self. Dombrowski, Jennifer.

Laing, Jennifer. Pedroza, Katlyn. Ross, Philip. Silverman, Leah. Spivack, Emily. Vincenty, Samantha.