Mardi Gras Masks Are Colorful, Fun and Traditional

Mardi Gras masks play a prominent role in the annual celebration traditionally held in New Orleans. Revelers wear these colorful costume pieces during the parades, parties and balls that take place for a two-week period ending on Fat Tuesday.

People from around the world gather in and around the French Quarter to take part in the festivities. Organizations called krewes are responsible for coordinating elaborate parades down Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue. Krewe members ride on floats and toss brightly colored plastic beads, small toys and other trinkets to the cheering crowds.

A krewe member would traditionally wear a mask to hide his identity from the public, but masking arrived in America with French immigrants. In Europe, masquerade balls were all the rage in royal Venetian and French courts during the 15th century. Masking during Carnival was a tradition that allowed the classes to co-mingle without repercussions. Members of the elite class could drop all pretenses and exhibit outrageous behavior with no fear of having their identity revealed.

Wearing a mask allows any individual to create a new identity while at the same time concealing a real one. Individuals can choose a design that matches their personality or one that is a complete departure from reality. These items come in many shapes and sizes. Some are inexpensive products that are mass-produced and available in any costume shop. Others are elaborate handmade items that are true works of art and can be quite expensive.

Many of these items incorporate green, gold and purple, which are the official colors of Mardi Gras. Purples stands for justice while green and gold represent faith and power, respectively. This does not mean artisans must restrict themselves to these colors by any stretch of the imagination. There really are no rules when it comes to costumes and virtually anything goes.

The wearable mask is traditionally built on the foundation of a plastic or wire frame. Plastic, cardboard or papier mache forms the mask surface. The mask is then painted and elaborately decorated. Some feature a happy, sad or fierce expression while others are blank and mysterious.

Artisans use anything and everything they can find to embellish the mask. Glitter, sequins and crystals add sparkle and pop to the items. Feathers and beads provide interesting textures and bells introduce sounds on popular jester designs.

The wearable mask is sometimes designed to cover the entire face. For people that find that too confining, there is a design that covers only the eyes and nose. Others are attached to a stick giving the wearer the option of instantaneously revealing his or her identity at any time. Some artisans create elaborate ceramic items that are suitable for display.

Mardi Gras masks allow people to drop their inhibitions and take on an alter ego. Regardless of design, color or decoration, many people believe they play an important role in observing the traditions of this annual celebration. Revelers can choose from many different options that will suit all needs and any size budget.

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