Mardi Gras, a festival that came to the United States as a French Catholic tradition, is celebrated on March 1 this year. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” reflecting the practice of Of course, it can be challenging to get proper headcounts for large events like Mardi Gras. And it’s important to remember that lots of external factors—like COVID-19 and Hurricane Katrina—that have negatively impacted attendance rates over the years. That certainly hasn’t stopped people from planning and attending events. So let’s Pensacola, Florida, may seem like an unlikely place for a Mardi Gras celebration, but the city draws over 100,000 people for its Grand Mardi Gras Parade in Downtown Pensacola. For a nighttime party, the Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade is a Pensacola staple. Farther inland, another theme park celebration honoring Mardi Gras can be found at Universal Studios Florida. This Orlando offering is the perfect option for families looking to include Mardi Gras in their spring break plans as the annual event spans a whopping 10 weeks, stretching well into April and giving visitors plenty of time to join the fun. The first Mardi Gras celebration in America was celebrated in 1703 in the settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile. Mardi Gras was celebrated soon after the city of New Orleans was founded in 1718 At that time, Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana but due to fear of hurricane damage, the capital was moved to New Orleans along with the Mardi Gras tradition in 1718. Nearly 150 years later, the Mardi Gras celebration returned to Mobile and it’s now the second largest Fat Tuesday gathering in the country. Much like Carnival in Brazil, Mardi Gras in New Orleans takes place right before Lent. Parades, music, drinking, costumes — NOLA has it all! Over 1.2 million people visit the city each year to take part in the festivities, three times the population of New Orleans itself! In fact, Mardi Gras is the most attended annual event in the entire New Orleans and Rio may have two of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations, but neither place is the original home of the holiday. In fact, it was two French-Canadian explorers who brought Mardi Gras to the city now known as Mobile, Alabama at the turn of the 17th century, about 15 years before New Orleans was founded in 1718. Portuguese (Flickr user Dave Herholz). Outside of New Orleans, St. Louis claims to host the United State's largest Mardi Gras party. Founded by the French some 250 years ago, the Soulard district—a The term Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") derives from the custom of using up all the fatty foods forbidden during Lent. As Catholicism spread across the globe from Europe, so did the tradition of Mardi Gras. The celebration would stretch into weeks-long carnivals from mid-January to March, and each culture put its own spin on the Roman Browse Mardi Gras decorations & party supplies at Michaels. Choose from a large selection of Mardi Gras beads, masks, necklaces, crowns & much more Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. It's most famously celebrated with parades in New Orleans "There's no place like New Orleans." —Harry Connick Jr. “There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better.” — Bob Dylan “Mardi Gras is a state of mind.” Whenever I host a holiday gathering like a Mardi Gras party, I like to include as many dishes as possible that can be made in advance — partially or all the way — because it makes my life a lot easier and less stressful. For example, I always make extra homemade Creole seasoning just for Mardi Gras! (And you can even send guests home with Mardi Gras, a bit like Easter and Christmas, is disputed in its Christian origins. Like there are “pagan” elements to both Christmas (Christmas trees) and Easter (the Easter bunny), Mardi Gras can most directly trace its roots to pagan celebrations of spring time and fertility. When is Mardi Gras 2025? Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is on Tuesday, March 4 this year. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Like Ash Wednesday and Easter, Mardi Gras' date changes Mardi Gras is Carnival's grand finale and is the day that ends the festive season. What do the Mardi Gras colors represent? According to Mardi Gras New Orleans, the holiday's colors have a meaning Mardi Gras has a rich history that combines ancient traditions with modern-day celebrations. Its origins are rooted in both religious and cultural practices, notably in how it has evolved in places like New Orleans and around the world. When Californian's and people around the world celebrate/observe holidays in March: Dates for Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent and St. Patrick's Day like New Orleans, Mardi Gras is a day of With it's beautiful gold, purple, and green design, the king cake is a show-stopper at any Mardi Gras party. But there are other notable Mardi Gras treats worth trying, too. Ahead, you'll find favorite Southern comfort foods like pecan pralines, banana cream pie, and more sweets to pair with a round of Mardi Gras drinks. If you want to take a
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