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Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orlean, circa the late 1800s. Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street is known for booze, flashing and bead-throwing, while parades elsewhere in the city feature floats 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. Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a sedate French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, [3] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Mardi Gras is part of the larger Carnival celebration held worldwide, but New Orleans became the center of America's party in the 1800s. Mardi Gras' roots can be traced back to a time before New In Mardi Gras' early days in Louisiana, the differences in the city and rural towns weren't so stark. Between 1700 and 1800s, most celebrations in New Orleans were just rowdy parties, so much so As it was approaching Fat Tuesday, they named it Points de Mardi Gras. By the time Bienville established New Orleans and 1718, Fat Tuesday celebrations were an annual tradition. Mardi Gras Celebrations in the 1700s and 1800s. Mardi Gras was already an annual fete in New Orleans by the 1730s. Mardi Gras Parades. For most people, parades, from the extravagant superkrewe productions in New Orleans to the makeshift processions in neighborhoods and small towns, are synonymous with Mardi Gras. With themes drawn from myth, legend, popular culture, politics, and other sources, parades are designed to entertain, amuse, awe, and inspire viewers. Early French settlers brought the tradition of Mardi Gras to the U.S. Gulf Coast at the end of the 17th century. In fact, Mobile, Alabama celebrated its first carnival in 1703. However, Spanish Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast. The conclusion falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is seen as a final day of feasting and revelry before the solemnity of Lent. 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). The Mardi Gras at New Orleans An article from the Columbian Exposition, 1893 The Mardi Gras carnival of 1893 was the thirteenth of those fanciful and brilliant creations which have won for this Southern capital a wide popularity. Although the number of visitors from other Mardi Gras is full of parades, parties and basically gastronomic indulgence before entering a period of abstinence and reflection. This is a tradition that goes back to the 1800s. Signal Staff The Great Depression of the 1930s cast a shadow over the festivities, but Mardi Gras endured. The spirit of resilience and community shone through, as people found solace and joy in the celebration, even during difficult times. Mid-Century Mardi Gras: Growth and Expansion. The mid-20th century witnessed a significant expansion of Mardi Gras. The king of Mardi Gras himself, Arthur Hardy is your go-to guy for information on parade routes, krewes, Mardi Gras royalty, and everything in between. You can find it all in the Arthur Hardy Mardi Gras Guide, which has been published since 1977 and contains 160 pages of facts, photos, and fun. Order your guide here. B - Beads Though its more synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, a mint julep has all the right ingredients to be a Mardi Gras classic. In fact, juleps have been consumed in New Orleans since the early 1800s, no horses required. Get the Classic Mint Julep recipe. It is this aspect of the spirit that novelist and journalist Robert Tallant had in mind when he observed, in his 1947 book Mardi GrasAs It Was, that Mardi Gras “will live through whatever catastrophes occur,” because it is, in essence, “a symbol of the art of being human, and wherever people are still human, wherever they still enjoy New Orleans Mardi Gras costumes have more in common with “those of Nice, France, and Venice, Italy, both cities with longstanding Carnival traditions,” Smith said. have since the 1800s On Mardi Gras in southwest Louisiana, some people will take part in the Cajun French tradition of the Courir de Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday Run. These rural processions, with links to rituals from medieval France, feature masked and costumed riders, with stops where participants perform and beg for goods. Mardi Gras balls in New Orleans have a rich and vibrant history that dates back to the early 19th century. These secretive masquerade events have become an integral part of the city’s carnival celebrations and are organized by various social clubs known as “krewes.” 1. Mobile Is The Birthplace Of Mardi Gras. First things first: The beloved tradition was actually born in Mobile, Alabama, though many associate it with New Orleans. Mobile first celebrated Mardi Gras in 1703, with the party really heating up in 1831. Mardi Gras is still a huge event in Mobile, with dozens of balls and parades every year.
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