The first year that Mardi Gras was celebrated on a grand scale in Galveston was 1871 with the emergence of two rival Mardi Gras societies, or "Krewes" called the Knights of Momus (known only by the initials "K.O.M.") and the Knights of Myth, both of which devised night parades, masked balls, exquisite costumes and elaborate invitations. 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 What to Know. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" and is the celebratory carnival that leads up to the beginning of Lent, the season of fasting and penitence. It gets its name from the practice of consuming foods that would be forbidden during Lent leading up to the beginning of the fast on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is held in a number of locations around the world, with the most famous celebrations taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Other notable Mardi Gras celebrations include those in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Venice, Italy; and Nice, France. The best time of the year begins on the evening of Twelfth Night, January 6. How did Mardi Gras get its name? The celebration was passionately adopted by French Catholics and was initially called “Boeuf Gras,” or “fatted calf.” Later on, the name “Mardi Gras,” which translates to “Fat Tuesday,” gained favor as the holiday’s preferred title, since the last day of the festival season was celebrated on 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. Where Did Mardi Gras Originate. The tradition of Mardi Gras dates back to medieval Europe, when it was common for people to partake in feasts and celebrations before Lent. The practice eventually made its way to the New World, where it was embraced by French and Spanish settlers in what is now Louisiana. Where did Mardi Gras originate from? The Roman tradition eventually made its way to medieval France, where it acquired the name we know today. Then, European colonists brought the huge, pre-Lenten festival to the Americas. Though it dates back to the Middle Ages, Mardi Gras is now one of the world's most colorful and vibrant festivals with Mardi Gras is a festive day celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), which marks the close of the pre-Lenten season. The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent. For those who think Mardi Gras is a weeks-long celebration of debauchery, drunkenness, and nudity–you’re right. But only half right. At the heart of it, Mardi Gras is also a Christian holiday traced to pagan spring and fertility rites dating back thousands of years that has become a popular cultural phenomenon worldwide. Mardi Gras is not just for humans; New Orleans hosts a "Krewe of Barkus" parade, where dogs don costumes and join the fun. The largest Mardi Gras float ever built was over 330 feet long and carried more than 200 riders. Mardi Gras in Popular Culture. Mardi Gras has made its mark in popular culture, appearing in movies, music, and literature. Mardi Gras Trivia. Did you know these fun facts? Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday” in French, is a day to indulge in rich foods before the fasting of Lent. New Orleans bursts into a kaleidoscope of parades, costumes, and beads during its world-famous Mardi Gras celebrations. Despite what you might have heard, Mardi Gras didn't get its start in New Orleans. Mardi Gras actually began in Mobile, Alabama – a port city with close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, located Although The Big Easy in Louisiana is perhaps best-known for its Mardi Gras revelry, the port city of Mobile, Alabama, founded in 1702 by French settlers, lays claim to being the city that first Carnival Cruise Line's first Mardi Gras, the 'Fun Ship' party, started nearly 50 years ago. Today, a newly built Mardi Gras is the flagship of the fleet and the life of the party. Along the way, a How Did Mardi Gras Start. Mardi Gras, also called Carnival, is a festive season that occurs before the Christian season of Lent. The word “mardi” means “fat” in French, and “gras” means “fatty.” Mardi Gras is thus a celebration of fat and indulgence before the period of fasting and abstinence that Lent represents. Where Mardi Gras krewes get their names. According to a 2017 article from Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy, "Owing at least in part to the mid-19th century’s renewed public fascination with And wait till you hear the ingredient list: 4,000 pounds of Danish flour, 286 pounds of yeast, 428 dozen eggs, 1,178 pounds of water, 8.925 gallons of flavoring, 2,087 pounds of icing, 331 pounds Mardi Gras in New Orleans, also known as Carnival, has been in full swing since Jan. 6 and will close with a grand, final celebration on March 4, better known as Fat Tuesday. Originating from Mardi Gras celebrations are rooted in early Roman times, when participants preceded a similar Lenten season of fasting with a period of feasting and celebration.While the most popular Mardi Gras festivities now occur closer to Mardi Gras itself, Christians traditionally began their celebration season, known as Carnival, 12 days after Christmas
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