Mardi Gras 2012

Today is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras 2012. The literal translation from the French is Tuesday (Mardi) Fat (Gras.)

As you well know Fat Tuesday is pretty much the last day that Christians can celebrate to excess before the solemn period of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. There are Mardi Gras celebrations occurring all over the world, but perhaps the best known Mardi Gras happens right here in the United States, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When it comes to celebrating Mardi Gras, whether you live in or will be visiting New Orleans, there are a number of must-haves. Here are 5 elements that every Mardi Gras party should include:

1. Decorations in the Mardi Gras colors. Those colors are green, purple, and black.
2. Beads and feathered masks. You'll notice most Mardi Gras revelers are wearing beads and masks. These costume pieces have to be in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of green, purple, and black, bien sur!
3. King Cake. King Cake is the quintessential Mardi Gras food. It's more like a French brioche than a cake.
4. Hurricane glasses. If you've ever been to the French Quarter of New Orleans, then you've seen people walking around with drinks in hurricane glasses the size of a small toddler.
5. New Orleans Jazz. When it comes to music and entertainment at a Mardi Gras party, New Orleans jazz is really your only choice!

If you are lucky enough to be in New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras, keep your eyes peeled for celebrities who might be celebrating in the Big Easy with you. A number of actors, authors, and athlete have celebrity homes in New Orleans, including:

• Sandra Bullock
• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
• Anne Rice
• Drew Brees (of course, since he plays for the New Orleans Saints)

At one time Nicolas Cage owned two celebrity homes in New Orleans—Nicolas Cage even has a burial plot picked out in New Orleans' famous St. Louis cemetery—but those homes were foreclosed on last year.