we work with owner barrywnerarrn about how his family has been in the mardi gras business for generations. ♪ citizens of new orleans, welcome to carnival! ♪ >> pretty girl is a celebration that -- mardi gras is a celebration that predates christianity. when i say christianity -- you have the pagan rites of spring and bacchanalia. people were willing to give up praying to certain guns, but they did not -- certain gods, but they did not want to give up certain celebratory traditions. they did not want to give up celebrating the rite of spring, and that became carnival. fat tuesday is the day before lent. the day of mardi gras can change anywhere from early february to march, and it depends on the date of easter. we are here at mardi gras world in new orleans, which is the home of mardi gras, and home of the studios where we build and produced and stage most of the productions in new orleans. the mardi gras tradition itself came from france. it was a festival where people would celebrate right before the fasting of the lenten season. they would put on a costume, candies,s, give out toys, tri