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A Mardi Gras parade on Royal Street in Mobile during the 2006 season. Mobile, founded by Bienville in 1702, is known for having the oldest organized Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, beginning in 1703. [9] It was also host to the first formally organized Mardi Gras parade in the United States in 1830. [9] However, elaborate carnival festivities draw crowds in other parts of the United States during the Mardi Gras season as well, including Alabama and Mississippi. Each region has its own events and History of Mardi Gras In 1703, Mobile, Alabama was the first city recorded to have the oldest organized Mardi Gras in the U.S., according to Curious Cuisiniere. "The first documented celebration of modern-day carnival, what people think of as carnival in the United States is historically without a doubt began in Mobile. In the United States the principal Carnival celebration is in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Carnival season there opens on Twelfth Night (also called Epiphany, which is observed on January 6) and climaxes with the Mardi Gras festivities commencing 10 days before Shrove Tuesday. This period is filled with citywide revelry and elaborate parades Some point to 1699 as year the first American Mardi Gras was held, when French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed about 60 miles south of present-day New Orleans Why is Mardi Gras celebrated? Mardi Gras is celebrated in many countries around the world, though mainly in places with large Roman Catholic populations. It's believed that Mardi Gras emerged from the wild ancient Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. These pagan celebrations involved days of feasting, masquerading, dancing, and drinking. Mardi Gras (UK: / ˌ m ɑːr d i ˈ ɡ r ɑː /, US: / ˈ m ɑːr d i ɡ r ɑː /; [1] [2] also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. [3] In the United States, Mardi Gras began when King Louis XIV sent Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville to defend France’s claim on the Louisiana territory (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and part of eastern Texas) in the late 17th century. In the Forties a new spirit of Mardi Gras was ushered in, pausing only for the United States’ involvement overseas. Before World War II canceled four Carnivals, the first women’s parade graced the streets of New Orleans with the Krewe of Venus’ inaugural pageant in 1941. Origins of Mardi Gras: From Europe to America. To understand the history of Mardi Gras in the United States, we need to go back to its European roots. Mardi Gras, which translates to 'Fat Tuesday' in French, is a Christian holiday that marks the last day of feasting before the fasting season of Lent begins. Mardi Gras in the United States and Around the World. Today, Mardi Gras is celebrated in many parts of the world, with unique traditions and customs. In the United States, the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations take place in New Orleans, with the iconic parades and floats, as well as in other cities like Mobile, Alabama, and Galveston, Texas. On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In the United States, the holiday is centered in the city of New Orleans. Thousands of revelers pack the streets each year for a celebration that includes floats, masked balls, and general merriment. The holiday's origins in the United States date back to even before American independence. Visit Louisiana during Carnival season and you’ll get caught up in a celebration that’s been part of the city’s history since the 1700s, but that doesn’t include the very first Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. The history of Mardi Gras goes back a long way — in fact, the first Mardi Gras party took place more than a A last-minute effort to save the SS United States emerged on Feb. 10, when the nonprofit New York Coalition to Save the SS United States Inc. called on Trump to issue an executive order preventing New Orleans is the most famous city for Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, but Mobile, Alabama, claims to have the oldest annual Carnival celebration in the country, dating back to 1703. Mardi Gras Traditions. Mardi Gras is known for its unique and lively traditions. What is the history of Mardi Gras masks? After Mardi Gras made its way to the United States, masked balls flourished under French rule in the late 1700s, but were later banned by the Spanish This year, Mardi Gras will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the United States. How is the date of Mardi Gras determined each year? Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” does not fall on the same day every year, but it is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. One of the most culturally iconic celebrations in the United States, Mardi Gras is quickly approaching. More:When is Easter 2025? Ash Wednesday, Lent, Good Friday and other key dates. We start with the city of New Orleans, which is the most popular destination for Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States. The city has been hosting Mardi Gras celebrations since 1837, so it knows how to throw a Mardi Gras parade like no other. As mentioned earlier, the event’s historical significance further ensures that it is taken
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