NEW ORLEANS, LA (Catholic Online) - Just before dawn, partygoers were seen in the streets of New Orleans, where some have been partying since Monday.  Mardi Gras has been in full-swing through the previous weekend. Some dedicated fans staked out locations along parade routes since Monday.

People from across the country have converged on the French Quarter in New Orleans, some for the parades, and others for the bacchanal that consumes the holiday. 

Just after 8 AM, this morning, the African-American Zulu krewe hit the streets. A krewe is a group organized to stage Mardi Gras parties or parades. Many revelers were wearing black-face makeup and wigs, typical for that krewe. A number of other krewes are staging parades and parties well into the evening throughout the city. 

The city is on official (state) holiday. Schools, banks, and government institutions are closed. 

The holiday is typified by the revelry that happens in the evening where the parties can sometimes take a life of their own. As a rule, revelers often overindulge in alcohol, jeopardizing their safety.

Police turn out in maximum force to control the crowds, enforce decency, and prevent fighting.

Despite the parties that seem to define the holiday in New Orleans, the great majority of locals seem content to pass the holiday quietly at home, in more reverent fashion. And while for most, it is a day off work, for others it genuinely is a religious occasion, marking the last day before the start of the Lenten season in the Christian calendar. 

Lent is a period of fasting and repentance during which penitents are invited to open themselves more fully to the message of God by emptying themselves though fasting and prayer. The season runs until Easter, but does not include Sundays. 

Mardi Gras also provides a substantial, early-year economic boost to the tourism industry in the gulf states region.

For tonight's celebrations, the forecast is expected to be mild with daily highs in the 70's and partly cloudy skies. No rain is expected, so most revelers will enjoy a dry holiday - of sorts. 

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