The Unwritten Rules of Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Good morning and Happy Mardi Gras y’all!  Everywhere else it’s just Tuesday, but down here in Louisiana it’s Fat Tuesday and time to celebrate the final day of Carnival Season!  The streets are filled with parade goers dancing and drinking, the grills are fired up and the crawfish pots are boiling, the neutral grounds look like a college game day tailgate and we’re ready to let the good times roll!

Mardi Gras morning is one of my favorite times of the year.  It’s one of those days where literally anything goes- you don’t hide the crazy, you parade it down the street!  It’s all about having a good time and letting loose.  Since anything goes on Fat Tuesday, I thought today would be the perfect time to share a few things seasoned Mardi Gras goers and locals like to live by, kind of like the unwritten rules of Mardi Gras if there were to be any rules!
1.  King cake calories don’t count

Eating cake for breakfast is on a whole different level during Mardi Gras!  Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday) starts early and if you want to get a good spot, that means you’re camping out the night before or setting up along the parade route at the crack of dawn.  You deserve a reward after all the hassle!  This means you can have your cake and eat it too and nobody will judge you! After all, they say king cake calories don’t count, so you might as well get on board with that king cake diet!

2.  Fried chicken at 9 am is the new lunch

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you it’s not Mardi Gras in New Orleans without a box of Popeye’s fried chicken!  Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint, and if you’ve made it all the way through to Mardi Gras day, you’re a champ!  If you’ve been parading all season long, chances are you’ve lost concept of the time by now.  When you’ve been camping out all morning for that perfect parade spot, hunger comes early and it only feels right to have some chicken!  Breakfast time is the new lunch and anything goes when it comes to food choices!  Want chips or a hot dog for breakfast? Sure, why not!? A quick stop at RaceTrac before heading out to the parade route will have you covered!  They’re on board with this whole anything goes, no rules thing too, so you’re guaranteed to find what you want and the selection is all Mardi Gras morning approved!
3.  Purple green and gold do match

Despite the rules and what the fashionistas may say, these colors go together and in Louisiana we wear them proudly!  The funkier the better too!  Love tutus, boas, beads, glitter, and headbands?  If so, you’re in luck because the rules are there are no rules!
4.  Pick a side, any side- #neutralgroundside #sidewalkside

When it’s Mardi Gras time, you’re either team neutral ground side or team side walk side.  This is how your friends will locate you on the parade route and how you’ll find your friends that are riding on the floats!
We may have our quirks down here in Louisiana, but I couldn’t be more proud to call this crazy place my home!  I like to think it’s these special quirks that make us who we are! Happy Mardi Gras y’all!

Do you follow these unwritten rules of Mardi Gras?

Looking for more Mardi Gras posts? Check these out:
Everything You Need to Know About Mardi Gras in New Orleans
How to Survive Mardi Gras in New Orleans Like a Local
A Look Inside Mardi Gras in New Orleans