Louisiana is the only state in which Mardi Gras is a legal holiday. However, elaborate carnival festivities draw crowds in other parts of the United States during the Mardi Gras season as well As the date of Easter changes each year so does the date of Mardi Gras. The earliest date Mardi Gras can be is Tuesday 3rd February and the latest date is Tuesday March 9th. Mardi Gras is a legal state holiday in Louisiana. In Alabama, it is a holiday in Baldwin and Mobile Counties only. History of Mardi Gras Help us protect Louisiana's children. Legal State Holiday - Mardi Gras. TUE. 4. March 2025. DCFS OFFICE LOCATOR. CUSTOMER SERVICE. LAHelpU.dcfs@la.gov ; 1-888-524 However, there are holidays that are celebrated throughout the state, many of which are recognized by the federal government as well. Every four years, Inauguration Day is considered a holiday and every two years General Election Day is aholiday with public offices closed. Mardi Gras is also celebrated throughout Louisiana. In 1841, the first formal parade in celebration of Mardi Gras was held. During the Civil War float building was prohibited, but people continued to march on foot in celebration. [22] Finally, with the passing of this act, Mardi Gras became a legal holiday in the state of Louisiana. [23] New Orleans takes Mardi Gras seriously, with traditions including king cake and parades beginning in January and lasting for weeks until the actual holiday itself. 1. Louisiana celebrates “Mardi Gras” as a state holiday, which honors the traditional Carnival celebration that takes place annually in the state. Mardi Gras is a significant cultural event in Louisiana, particularly in cities like New Orleans and Lafayette, where parades, parties, and festivities commemorate the occasion. 2. Mardi Gras: Tuesday before Ash Wednesday: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 * The governor may also proclaim other days as holidays, and these days will be confirmed on the The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in southern Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans.Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of lent in the Western Christian tradition). 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. Technically, Mardi Gras is the last Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and ushers in 40 days Lenten practices, while Carnival is the season that begins on the Feast of Epiphany, January 6. A krewe (pronounced the same way as "crew") is an organization that puts on a parade and/or a ball for the Carnival season. Bonus Fun Fact: Mardi Gras is a legal History of Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Mardi Gras’ roots trace back to Louisiana’s Spanish and French influences and have evolved over the centuries. Here are just a few lesser-known traditions and customs celebrated in the different regions. Cajun Mardi Gras. Cajun Mardi Gras, also called Courir de Mardi Gras, is a celebration on Fat Tuesday D. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 6:65 or any other law to the contrary, all banking institutions and savings and loan associations located within the parishes of Terrebonne, Lafourche, Iberia, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, St. Mary, and Iberville, and all banking institutions located within the parishes of Lafayette and St. Landry This was on 3 March 1699, Mardi Gras, so in honour of this holiday, Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") and called the nearby tributary Bayou Mardi Gras. [32] Bienville went on to found the settlement of Mobile (now in Alabama) in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana. [33] When are the next State and Federal holidays in Louisiana? Upcoming Holidays. Memorial Day Mardi Gras: Government Holiday: Alabama, Louisiana: Friday: Apr 18 Understanding State Holidays Holidays for State Government State holidays are defined in La. R.S. 1:55(B). Legal holidays shall be observed by the departments of the state as follows: 1. a. Insofar as may be practicable in the administration of the government, no List of the 2026 Louisiana holidays or Louisiana festivals for 2026. Login; Get Started The upcoming United States holiday Mardi Gras is in 12 days from today. To learn more, visit the permanent exhibition, Mardi Gras: It's Carnival Time in Louisiana, at the Presbytère on Jackson Square. Mardi Gras: Mystery and History. Built upon a European foundation, Mardi Gras is a multicultural festival that also reflects Louisiana's African and Caribbean connections. Mardi Gras is a Legal Holiday in Louisiana – Louisiana is the only U.S. state that officially recognizes Mardi Gras as a public holiday. Flambeaux: Illuminating Tradition Originating in the 19th century, the flambeaux (French for “flame torch”) tradition began as a means to light the nighttime Mardi Gras parades before electric Holiday: Date Holiday Observed: Day Before Christmas: December 24, 2024: Christmas Day: December 25, 2024: Day Before New Year’s: December 31, 2024: New Year’s Day
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