No matter what aspect of Mardi Gras you’re interested in, we have Mardi Gras facts and trivia for you! Keep reading to learn more about this special holiday. Plus, for more fun this Fat Tuesday be sure to check out our free printables for Mardi Gras including this word search , word scramble and these coloring pages . Mardi Gras is more than just a day, it’s an entire season. Carnival season begins on Twelfth Night (January 6) and ends on Fat Tuesday. It’s during this time period that king cakes make their debut - and fly off the shelves all season long. Mardi Gras Indians’ elaborate “suits” are hand-sewn with thousands of beads and take all year The first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near present-day New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 That’s why, to really prep you for the holiday, we’re here with a host of need-to-know Mardi Gras facts. (The date for Mardi Gras 2025 is later this year, so there’s really no excuse for not getting up to speed!) Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” a pretty-spot on name for the last event of Carnival season before heading in to 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. Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, who came to defend France's claim on Louisiana. The very first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near present-day New Orleans. They held a small celebration Mardi Gras Facts. 1. "Mardi Gras" translates directly to "Fat Tuesday." 2. Mardi Gras is the final day of carnival celebrations before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.. 3. Most carnival 65 Fun Facts and Trivia About Mardi Gras and How It's Celebrated. Find out the special meaning and symbols behind the holiday. By Adam Schubak and Cameron Jenkins Updated: Feb 21, 2023. Mardi Gras is always the final Tuesday of the Carnival season. Although Carnival season always begins on the same date, January 6, Fat Tuesday is always the Tuesday that falls 46 days before the Easter holiday. For example, Mardi Gras 2024 is on Tuesday, February 13th. Mardi Gras 2025 will take place on Tuesday, March 4th. 18. The first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near present-day New Orleans, Louisiana. They held a 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. Jonathan Bertucceli is a third-generation float maker and the owner of Studio 3, a design studio that makes Mardi Gras floats. Arthur Hardy is a fifth-generation New Orleanian, The Legend of Mardi Gras Indians: The Mardi Gras Indians are a group of African American men and women who dress up in elaborate feathered and beaded costumes and perform in Mardi Gras parades. According to legend, the tradition of Mardi Gras Indians dates back to the 19th century, when African American slaves in Louisiana were inspired by Fun Facts About Mardi Gras. It’s a Legal Holiday in Louisiana: While Mardi Gras is celebrated worldwide, it’s an official state holiday in Louisiana, where schools and businesses often close for the festivities. King Cake Tradition: King Cake, a sweet pastry decorated in Mardi Gras colors, contains a hidden plastic baby. Whoever finds the From Rome to New Orleans, Mardi Gras is the ultimate carnival. In fact, it’s the last day of what is known as Carnival season. This period of revelry begins on Epiphany on January 6 and ends 47 French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville arrived in what is now modern day Mobile, Alabama on Fat Tuesday, 1699. He named the location Point du Mardi Gras and threw a little party. March 4, 2025 – Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). January 6 – Carnival season celebrations begin on this date each year, continuing through midnight on Fat Tuesday. Facts March 4, 2025 – Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). January 6 – Carnival season celebrations begin on this date each year, continuing through midnight on Fat Tuesday. Facts Two additional dates of historic importance in New Orleans Mardi Gras lore are 1875, the year the State of Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal state holiday, and 1889, the year of the first documented reference of women exposing their breasts at the event, reported by a Times-Democrat reporter who observed, “the degree of immodesty CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at Mardi Gras, a celebration held the day before the fasting season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. March 4, 2025 – Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). January 6 – Carnival season celebrations begin on this date each year, continuing through midnight on Fat Tuesday. Facts Mardi Gras,
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |