Mardi Gras

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FILE - In this Tuesday, March 4, 2014, file photo, members of the Krewe of Zulu hold painted coconuts to give to parade-goers, as they march during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. A social media picture of a white woman wearing blackface makeup, traditional garb of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, has sparked a debate about race and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

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Acadiana will be celebrating Mardi Gras on Feb. 17 with a buffet and live New Orleans-style jazz band. (The Washington Times)

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Some revelers stand-in the rain while another stands under a balcony during Mardi Gras festivities in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Rain and unusually cold temperatures kept much of the normally massive and festive crowds away. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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Mardi Gras crowds in the French Quarter are seen from the balcony of the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Rain and unusually cold temperatures caused the crowd to be smaller than previous years. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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A child in costume peers from a float in the Krewe of Elks during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Rain and unusually cold temperatures kept most of the normally massive and festive crowds away. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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The King's Jester float makes its way toward the Canal Street turn on during a Mardi Gras parade, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune, David Grunfeld) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; USA TODAY OUT; THE BATON ROUGE ADVOCATE OUT

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Mardi Gras crowds in the French Quarter are seen in the rain from the balcony of the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Rain and unusually cold temperatures kept much of the normally massive and festive crowds away. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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Jack Laborde, king of Carnival, greets his subjects on Mardi Gras during the Rex parade, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune, David Grunfeld) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; USA TODAY OUT; THE BATON ROUGE ADVOCATE OUT