Visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras and if you’re lucky, you’ll get tossed a strand of purple, green, or gold beads or maybe ...

Mardi Gras, which began as a religious holiday, has become a weeks-long celebration, one that gives millions the chance to let loose before Lent.

The festivities include parades throughout the historic French Quarter, as revelers eat king cakes and toss green, purple, and gold beads into the crowd. Mardi Gras, which began as a religious ...