Mardi Gras is New Orleans’ most famous export. Once a year, thousands of visitors from around the world descend on the city for a week or so of drinking and debauchery. Yet many first time visitors arrive with a host of misconceptions, ranging from the minor and even obscure to the potentially dangerous. Here is a primer on what you need to know about Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

1. Mardi Gras is actually the last day of Carnival. The Carnival season begins on Twelfth Night in January, and the party gradually picks up steam. Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday, and falls 40 days prior to Easter, at the beginning of Lent. The party stops at midnight on Mardi Gras night, so be sure you don’t miss the fun altogether.

2. There are no parades on Bourbon Street, or anywhere in the French Quarter, with the exception of the Krewe de Vieux walking parade. The float parades roll Uptown, down St. Charles Ave, and down Canal Street. There is a huge drunken street party in the French Quarter, but no parades.

3. Mardi Gras IS family friendly. You may want to keep the kids out of the French Quarter, which takes on a decidedly adult feel. Along the Uptown portion of the parade routes, however, you will find many families with children of all ages. Follow New Orleans tradition and build a ladder seat for your kids.

4. Drinking on the street is legal as long as your drink is in a plastic cup. Glass is strictly prohibited and metal is strongly discouraged, but you can drink all day long out of a plastic container. Public intoxication, however, is illegal and frequently prosecuted.

5. 'Flashing' is technically illegal. You will most likely get away with showing your breasts within the boundaries of the French Quarter only. Try it anywhere else along the parade route, or drop your pants anywhere in the city, and you are likely to find yourself spending the rest of Carnival season in Orleans Parish Prison (there is no city jail).

Posted by Lisa.

Lisa is the editor of Quality Dating Resources.