For those of you who are new to Mardi Gras, here is a short list of definitions!

BALL

A masked ball in which scenes representing a specific theme are enacted for the entertainment of the club members and their guests; krewe “royalty” is traditionally presented during the ball.

MARDI GRAS

French for Fat Tuesday, the single-day culmination of the Carnival season.

KREWE

The generic term for all Carnival organizations in New Orleans, first used by the Mistick Krewe of Comus which coined the word in 1857 to give its club’s name an Old English flavor.

CAPTAIN

The absolute leader of each Carnival organization.

CARNIVAL

From the Latin ‘carnivale’, it is loosely translated as “farewell to flesh”. It is the season of merriment in New Orleans which begins annually on January 6 and ends at midnight on Fat Tuesday. Carnival season leads up to the season of Lent.

COURT

The King, Queen, maids, and dukes of a Carnival organization.

DEN

A large warehouse where floats are built and stored.

DOUBLOONS

Aluminum coin-like objects bearing the krewe’s insignia on one side and the parade’s theme on the reverse; first introduced by Rex in 1960.

FAT TUESDAY

Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent. It is a day of fun and carnival, like in New Orleans where it often marks the climax of a carnival period.

FAVOR

A souvenir, given by krewe members to friends attending the ball, normally bearing the organization’s insignia, name and year of issue.

FLAMBEAUX

Naphtha-fueled torches, traditionally carried by white-robed men. In the past century, flambeaux provided the only source of nighttime parade illumination.

THROWS

Inexpensive trinkets tossed from floats by costumed and masked krewe members. Among the more popular items are krewe-emblemed aluminum doubloons, plastic cups and plastic medallion necklaces.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/photos/cletch/