New Orleans Mardi Gras - Traditional Colors

Traditional Colors

Meaning of Colors
Justice (purple)
Power (gold)
Faith (green)

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors are said to have been chosen by Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch Romanoff of Russia during a visit to New Orleans in 1872. This doctrine was reaffirmed in 1892, when the Rex Parade theme "Symbolism of Colors" gave the colors their meanings.

In his book "Krewe: The Early New Orleans Carnival: Comus to Zulu," Errol Laborde shows the above mentioned meanings of the Mardi Gras colors to be false. He gives a much simpler origin, having to do primarily with looking good.

Read more about this topic:  New Orleans Mardi Gras

Famous quotes containing the words traditional and/or colors:

    What Mrs. Thatcher did for women was to demonstrate that if a woman had enough desire she could do what she wanted, do anything a man could do.... Mrs. Thatcher did not have one traditional feminine cell in her body.
    Julie Burchill (b. 1960)

    I can add colors to the chameleon,
    Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,
    And set the murderous Machiavel to school.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)