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Mardi Gras Costume Party Ideas :
The Masquerade Ball
Venetian masks have a long history of protecting
their wearer's identity during promiscuous or
decadent activities. Made for centuries in
Venice, these distinctive masks were formed from
papier-mâché and wildly decorated with fur,
fabric, gems, or ribbons. Eventually, Venetian
masks re-emerged as the emblem of Carnevale, a
pageant and street fair celebrating hedonism.
 Venetian masks emerged in a climate of cultural
and religious repression during the Medieval era
in Italy. People donned the colorful masks to
free themselves from judging neighbors, all of
whom knew each other in such a small city. The
gentry class and peasants alike sought anonymity
for promiscuity, gambling, and other
indiscretions. Even the clergy were known to
dress up to go dancing.
After
the 1100s, the masquerade went through periods
of being outlawed by the Catholic Church,
especially during holy days. Their policy lead
to eventual acceptance when they declared the
months between Christmas and Shrove Tuesday free
for Venetian mask-attired decadence. This period
evolved into Carnevale, the pre-Lent celebration
meaning, "remove meat." Although Carnevale lost
popularity as Venice's cultural production
faltered during the Enlightenment, it was
officially reintroduced in 1979.
 The
modern celebration of Carnevale has
reinvigorated the art and craft of making
Venetian masks. The traditional method involves
sculpting a form out of clay as a base for the
mask. Most masks are made from papier-mâché, a
sticky paste made from paper strips and glue.
This plaster material is layered over the base,
dries, and gets removed to form the basic mask.
The fun part comes when the craftsperson paints
designs in gold, silver, royal purple, sunny
yellow, and other bright colors. Further
decorations include sequins, silk ribbons,
exotic bird feathers, faux fur, rhinestones,
leather, gold charms, glitter, and any other
outlandish trinkets.
Recognizable types of Venetian masks continue to
dazzle tourists, dancers, and pageant
participants during Carnevale and year round.
The Bauta mask covers the whole face, with a
stubborn chin line, no mouth, and lots of
gilding. A half-mask with gold and silver
stripes and jeweled eyes is called a Columbino
that you hold up to your face with an attached
stick. Other popular shapes include large,
hooked noses, black and white checkered diamonds
called a Harlequin pattern, and bright red,
pursed lips. Wearing Venetian masks has spread
to Halloween masquerade balls and what North and
South Americans call Mardi Gras, but they always
carry their rich Italian tradition.
Mardi Gras Costume Party
Ideas for Men
Although not the first venue to host mardi-gras
celebrations, New Orleans is particularly
well-known, often called "the greatest free show on
earth". The celebrations draw hundreds of thousands
of tourists to the city in addition to the
celebrating locals for the parties and parades. Most
tourists can be found within the French Quarter.
Mardi Gras Costume
Party Ideas for Women
Mardi Gras came to New Orleans with the earliest
French settlers. New Orleans developed new
traditions, including Carnival organizations called
Krewes such as the Krewe du Vieux, the Zulu Social
Aid & Pleasure Club, and the famous Rex parade, in
addition to Mardi Gras Indians and king cake
parties.
Mardi Gras costume
Party Ideas for Kids
There are as many as 60 Krewes that have parades in
the greater New Orleans area. Officially, the Mardi
Gras season begins on the 12th day after Christmas.
Most parades, balls and other festivities occur on
weeknights and weekends in the 2-week period before
Mardi Gras Day. Though each parade is different,
there are certain common ingredients: 1) There is a
king of each Krewe, picked from among the Krewe
membership; 2) gaily colored floats, ridden by
masked and costumed Krewe members, who throw various
items, including beads (necklaces), metal coins
called doubloons bearing the official emblem and
often, that year's parade's grand marshals name, and
assorted other fun items; marching bands from local
high schools and universities, and often other
invited guest bands.
Mardi Gras costume
Party Ideas for Pets
The oldest parading krewes include those of Rex,
"King of the Carnival," who has reigned since 1872,
and Zulu, founded in 1909, both of whom parade for a
half-million or more spectators along a six
mile-long route on Shrove Tuesday morning each year.
Oldest of the night parades is the Krewe of Proteus,
founded in 1882, and which rolls to the light of
old-fashioned flambeaux on Lundi Gras (Fat Monday),
which is the Monday night before Mardi Gras. New
Orleans' parades include anywhere from 14 to 30 or
more floats. "Truck parades" of huge, decorated
trucks often have more than 100 entries. Other
parades are held by "walking clubs," consisting of
maskers promenading to the blare of the city's
famous jazz bands.
Particularly since the inception of the larger
parade organizations (sometimes called "super krewes")
such as Bacchus, Endymion and Orpheus, it has become
fashionable to invite Hollywood and other
celebrities to act as Grand Marshals for parades.
As many as 100,000 Mardi Gras revelers are estimated
to throng Bourbon Street in New Orleans' historic
French Quarter each Fat Tuesday to view often
outrageous costume contests and celebrate until the
stroke of midnight, which signals the end of
Carnival and the beginning of the penitential season
of Lent.
In addition to parades and other public observances,
New Orleans is the scene of exclusive and elaborate
masked, tableau balls held by most of the parading
krewes and other organizations which limit their
activities only to balls. Usually invitation-only
affairs, many of the balls feature the presentation
of the city's debutantes.
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