Laborde verifies that the colors of Mardi Gras can be traced to the first Rex parade in 1872. He cites newspapers of the day that included a proclamation from the King of the Carnival deigning that balconies should be draped in purple, green and gold. The official colors of Mardi Gras in New Orleans date back to 1872. That year, the first Rex Parade rolled through the streets of New Orleans. Rex, the King of Carnival, adopted the colors of purple, green, and gold to represent the celebration. The colorful tradition of Mardi Gras has spread far beyond the festivities in New Orleans and wider Louisiana. Mardi Gras is now celebrated in cities across the United States and around the world – and purple, green and gold go along for the ride. Anywhere Mardi Gras is observed, the three colors dominate proceedings. The History of Mardi Gras Colors. Mardi Gras has a rich history that dates back to the 17th century, when French colonizers brought their traditions and customs to the Americas. The celebration was initially a Catholic tradition, where people would feast and party before the 40-day Lenten fast. The Mardi Gras colors weren’t given an official meaning until 1892, when the Rex parade had the theme “Symbolism of Colors.” That’s the year it was decided that purple stood for justice, Since 1872, purple, green and gold have been the official Mardi Gras colors. Keep reading to learn who assigned them their meaning and why these colors are associated with the holiday, and make sure to scroll down to get a free Mardi Gras coloring sheet printable! The colors of Mardi Gras – purple, green, and gold – represent the Trinity, with purple symbolizing royalty, green representing faith, and gold representing purity. Q: Why are the colors of Mardi Gras so important? The colors of Mardi Gras are important because they symbolize the values and ideals of the celebration, including community The Values Represented by Mardi Gras Colors. The Mardi Gras colors, rich in history and cultural significance, represent a set of values that are central to the celebration. Justice, Faith, and Power. The three primary colors of Mardi Gras – purple, green, and gold – represent justice, faith, and power, respectively. The colors of Mardi Gras – purple, green, and gold, can be found as early as 1872 at a carnival organized by the company Rex for a Russian aristocrat’s arrival. Rex has held parades in New Orleans for 148 years and continues to be its most prominent parade organizer to date. History of the Colors. The official colors of Mardi Gras became established in 1872 with the formation of Rex, the city’s oldest parading Carnival organization. The group adopted purple, green, and gold as the official symbolic colors representing justice, faith, and power. However, the use of those colors dates back even earlier. The official colors of Mardi Gras became established in 1872 with the formation of Rex, the city’s oldest parading Carnival organization. The group adopted purple, green, and gold as the official symbolic colors representing justice, faith, and power. Big Chief Demond Melancon wears his Red Cloud suit amongst other members of Mardi Gras Indian tribes [+] during Mardi Gras 2014. In February 2021, the usual bustle of New Orleans’ Canal Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. Stay tuned to the site for further info. The color mardi gras is a medium dark shade of magenta, with a hexadecimal number of 880085. #880085 in RGB colors is made up of 53.33% red, 0% green, and 52.16% blue. #880085 is a 301* (degrees) shade in the HSL color space, with 100% saturation and 27% lightness. The annual celebration of Mardi Gras is a Carnival season that begins on Jan. 6 and culminates on Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is celebrated with parades, festive attire and the consumption of king cake. The most popular colors associated with Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors all have meaning as purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. Mardi Gras is a rowdy secular celebration that has been part of the official Catholic Church calendar since 1582. The season of merriment, which begins on Epiphany and ends on Fat Tuesday, is filled with rambunctious masquerading in the streets and mysterious masked balls. 2. Mardi Gras Is A State Holiday All Around The US “Fat Tuesday” is the holiday that the end of Mardi Gras falls on. It is an official holiday in Alabama, Florida and it is celebrated in parts of Louisiana. However, what’s the true history of Mardi Gras colors? Apparently, most of the city was mistaken about the history of Mardi Gras colors. While the historic Mardis Gras colors have always been gold, green, and purple ever since the 1892 Rex parades, there have been rumors persisting for over 100 years as to the reasons why. Purple, green, and gold are the official colors of Mardi Gras and are said to symbolize justice (purple), power (gold), and faith (green). For the holiday, everyone comes dressed in the trio of colors.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |