Hives, also known as urticaria, usually starts as an itchy patch of skin that turns into swollen red welts. It can be set off by many substances or situations. The itching may be mild to severe. Scratching, alcoholic beverages, exercise and emotional stress may worsen the itching.
New Orleans Social clubs play a very large part in the Mardi Gras celebration as hosts of many of the parades on or around Mardi Gras. The two main Mardi Gras parades, Zulu and Rex, are both social club parades. Zulu is a mostly African-American club and Rex is mostly Caucasian.
However, these celebrations remained mostly private in nature until the 19th century, when the first recorded public procession in celebration of Mardi Gras took place in 1837. The city's first Mardi Gras parade to feature early versions of modern-style floats took place 20 years later in 1857. This city's celebrations have direct roots in Mobile, Alabama, which is the site of the first major public Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States.