屋前的鲜花和铁艺围栏，路易斯安那州新奥尔良 Flowers and ironwork fence in front of a house in New Orleans, Louisiana (© Lauren Mitchell/Offset by Shutterstock)

屋前的鲜花和铁艺围栏，路易斯安那州新奥尔良 Flowers and ironwork fence in front of a house in New Orleans, Louisiana (© Lauren Mitchell/Offset by Shutterstock)

Mardi Gras flower power

While the purple flowers and green ironwork may not look overly festive to the untrained eye, residents of New Orleans will no doubt spot the significance of both, especially today, on Mardi Gras, the final day of Carnival. Purple and green are two of the three official colors of Mardi Gras, together with gold, and in a normal year the streets would be full of revelers decked out in all three colors as they dance and parade down the streets of the city. Due to COVID-19, there won't be any parades this year, but the colors will still be on full display in the city's famous French Quarter and elsewhere, including as colorful icing atop king cakes, a beloved treat that's associated with the Carnival season.

The colors themselves have officially been part of Mardi Gras since 1872, when they were introduced by the newly formed Krewe of Rex, one of the private social clubs ('krewes') that stage parades and other Carnival festivities. The krewe's ceremonial King of Carnival ('Rex') proclaimed that gold represents power, green represents faith, and purple stands for justice.

The ironwork seen here is a characteristic feature of homes and buildings in the region. It traces back to the early 18th century, when slaves and freemen from West Africa, influenced by French and Spanish styles, crafted fences, gates, and railings from cast iron. The often elaborately ornamented designs adorn verandas and balconies, giving residents a pleasant place to cool off in the muggy Louisiana heat. In true New Orleans fashion, even the architecture reflects a blend of cultural influences that make the city so wonderful and unique.

狂欢节花的力量

虽然紫色的花朵和绿色的铁艺在未经训练的人看来可能不会显得过于喜庆，但新奥尔良的居民无疑会发现两者的意义，尤其是今天，在狂欢节的最后一天——狂欢节。紫色和绿色是狂欢节的三种官方颜色中的两种，再加上金色，在正常年份，街道上会挤满穿着这三种颜色的狂欢者，他们在城市的街道上跳舞游行。由于COVID-19，今年将不会有任何游行，但颜色仍将在该市著名的法国区和其他地方充分展示，包括作为国王蛋糕上的彩色糖衣，这是一种与狂欢节相关的受人喜爱的待遇。

自1872年起，颜色本身就正式成为狂欢节的一部分，当时新成立的雷克斯克鲁俱乐部（Krewe of Rex）推出了这种颜色，这是一家私人社交俱乐部（“krewes”），负责举办游行和其他狂欢节。克鲁的嘉年华仪式之王（“雷克斯”）宣称，黄金代表权力，绿色代表信仰，紫色代表正义。

这里看到的铁制品是该地区住宅和建筑的一个特色。它可以追溯到18世纪初，当时来自西非的奴隶和自由人受法国和西班牙风格的影响，用铸铁制作栅栏、大门和栏杆。这些经常精心装饰的设计装饰在阳台和阳台上，给居民一个舒适的地方在闷热的路易斯安那州凉爽。在真正的新奥尔良时尚，甚至建筑反映了文化的影响，使城市如此美妙和独特的融合。