New Orleans, Louisiana, February 2, 2008— A giant mask glowing with fiber-optic lights rolls in the Krewe of Endymion's parade in New Orleans during Carnival.

This "krewe"—a team that organizes a parade—stages one of the largest of New Orleans' 80 Carnival parades. The group takes its name from Endymion, the handsome Greek god of youth and fertility.

This year's Endymion parade, with actor Kevin Costner as grand marshal, rolled along its traditional Mid-City route for the first time since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Mardi Gras—French for Fat Tuesday—caps the city's Carnival festivals. The revels begin on January 6, the Twelfth Night of Christmas, and continue until Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Christian season of Lent.



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