Everything You Need To Know About Mardi Gras In New Orleans [VIDEO]

It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and this weekend will be the biggest with plenty of parades, beads and drinks going around. For the city it begins in January and ends next week with Fat Tuesday. No doubt the party animals on Bourbon Street will be using this last weekend as their last hurrah.

There are plenty of parades to see and you can expect a strong police presence. While flashing is not encouraged there is no doubt there will be plenty of skin on show. Police are warning against urinating in the streets and engaging in criminal activity. They have put regulations in place to ensure the safety of residents and the visitors.

Beads are a huge part of the celebration; the history can be traced back to the late 19^th century when strings of beads and toys were thrown from floats. The colors, however, became popular in the 1960s and have been the ultimate symbol of the parade since.

Reporter Zoe Mintz gave us the lowdown on the festivities this weekend and where you can watch the parades. No doubt the whole city will be nursing a serious hangover next week, so Zoe shared with us her tip on how to combat even the worst hangover. First things first, it begins with hydration, and drinking plenty of water, best to take an Advil before you sleep, and drinking a sports drink is key in replacing vitamins and electrolytes.