Rex, King of Carnival, Part of History of Mardi Gras, Issues Proclamation Announcing Carnival Season

USA - English

• USA - English

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) January 06, 2016 -- Carnival, also known as the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, begins each year on “Twelfth Night.” It all begins with an official proclamation from Rex, King of Carnival. The School of Design, announces to the world that the season has begun and it is time to visit New Orleans to celebrate. The proclamation is a part of the history of Mardi Gras.

“The Rex 2016 Royal proclamation continues a carnival tradition more than a century old,” said Mark Romig, President and CEO of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, NOTMC. "A proclamation from Rex, King of Carnival, signals that it is time to make plans to travel to New Orleans most famous celebration, yet another demonstration of how unique New Orleans is to the world."

The Rex Organization began creating its Royal Invitation in 1872 when a group of young New Orleans leaders decided to issue invitations and a proclamation, inviting all to come to the Crescent City to join in its unique Mardi Gras celebration. In the days before mass media, broadcast, and tourism industries, the beautiful art posters and brochures were distributed in railroad stations, plastered on train cars, posted in centers of commerce, and placed in public buildings around the nation in major U.S. cities, urging all to come to Mardi Gras.

“Carnival season is one of the most exciting times of the year with celebrations leading up to Mardi Gras, which is Tuesday, February 9th this year. It’s just another Tuesday everywhere else in the world, but in New Orleans it is a day that we celebrate our distinct history and culture,” said Kristian Sonnier, Vice President of Communications with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Mardi Gras embodies why people travel to New Orleans year round – great food, lively music and always a reason to celebrate.”

The 2016 Royal Invitation incorporates artwork from 1886, inviting visitors to “gather, from far and near, to join in the many celebrations and processions which will shortly unfold under the joyful Carnival banner.” It hearkens back to the history of Mardi Gras.

Each year, both the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) and the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) issue an electronic version of the Mardi Gras invitation to the nation and to international destinations, as well as over 60,000 travel trade professionals and tour operators. Both tourism corporations will feature the Royal Invitation on their websites.

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Lea Sinclair, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp, http://www.neworleansonline.com, +1 (504) 491-5330, [email protected]