P.T. Barnum was right when he said, “The show must go on.”

Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday,” and its preceding weeks of Carnival continued this year, upholding the culturally renowned celebration of the “Big Easy.” The battering done to the city by Hurricane Katrina just six months ago could not silence the soul of New Orleans.

It goes without saying that there were, however, some slight cut-backs. Smaller crowds of revelers were evident as beads, costumes, and masks paraded streets where the buildings still bore water stained reminders of Katrina.

Reconstruction blocking off large portions of town and the 1,300 lives ultimately lost in the wrath of the hurricane significantly impacted the attendance rate of the host city. There were four to six fewer Carnival Krewes, or festival clubs, and four fewer days of festivities.

Residents nevertheless found supplementary hilarity in handmade parade-side posters and outrageous costumes, which often mocked the lack of governmental aid the region has received.

One sign read, “Throw me something FEMA!” And a whole Krewe was adorned in brown jump suits with the backs displaying, “What did Brown do for you today?” mocking former FEMA director Michael Brown through a distortion of the widely known UPS slogan. But why not spread some sarcastic cheer? After all, the region deserves a little laughter.

Krewes have long been spreading merriment in New Orleans; they originated the first official Mardi Gras parade in 1856. In 1872 when the grand duke Alexis Romanoff arrived in New Orleans for Carnival, he spurred a Krewe to appoint a “king of the day” so that the duke could receive a worthy welcome. Consequently, the “king of the day” celebration has remained a key component in the traditional festivities of Mardi Gras.

Carnival is the revelry that begins as early as the Epiphany on Jan. 6, or the day the Wise Men are thought to have arrived in Bethlehem, and leads up to one last hurrah on Mardi Gras.

But, costuming, masked balls, and street performances actually commence about a week or two before Mardi Gras in New Orleans, counting down the final days of indulgence before the Christian fasting season of Lent.

Carnivals were deeply entrenched in the folklore of Europe and pagan rituals; but, because the Roman Catholic Church was unable to eradicate them completely, they were ultimately acknowledged as church activity. Eventually, the Church succeeded in making all carnivals related somehow to the preparation for Lent.

The season is long celebrated within most Christian denominations, with the exception of Baptists and Protestants. Some Roman Catholic countries especially have the roots of this annual carnival set in the Middle Ages. And when the French colonials arrived in New Orleans, they unknowingly instigated the popularization of “the best free show on earth.”

People come from all over the world just to see the famous New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, which happens to mark its 150th anniversary this year. This historical reminder has sparked additional interest in the continuation of Mardi Gras tradition after Katrina.

Feathers and masks and the celebratory bayou traditions of Mardi Gras did not drown in the ten feet of water that washed over so many dreams of New Orleans last year. Rather, it fueled a hope that the city will go on.

2006 has proved that Mardi Gras will never die in the “Big Easy.”