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 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. 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. In 2025, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4. Mardi Gras—just one of the festival’s many names—is marked by raucous parties and parades, revelers wearing elaborate costumes, and delicious The origins of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras traces its roots to ancient Roman festivals like Saturnalia, which involved feasting and revelry. With the advent of Christianity, these traditions were adapted into Carnival—a period of indulgence before the austerity of Lent. Mardi Gras specifically refers to the day before Ash Wednesday, when people But Mardi Gras history actually extends all the way back to the days before Christianity in Ancient Rome, and has roots in pagan spring festivals. As with most other holidays with a deep heritage, the traditions and customs of Mardi Gras evolved as it moved through countries, continents, and centuries and became the raucous, joy-filled Mardi Gras (UK: / ˌ m ɑːr d i ˈ ɡ r ɑː /, US: / ˈ m ɑːr d i ɡ r ɑː /; [1] [2] also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. [3] 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 In places like New Orleans, Mardi Gras is not just a holiday; it is a celebration of the city’s unique cultural heritage. New Orleans has long been a melting pot of different cultures, including French, Spanish, African, and Creole influences. Mardi Gras reflects this diversity through its music, food, art, and traditions. The practice of exposing female breasts in exchange for Mardi Gras beads, however, was mostly limited to tourists in the upper Bourbon Street area. [5] [62] In the crowded streets of the French Quarter, generally avoided by locals on Mardi Gras Day, flashers on balconies cause crowds to form on the streets. News about Mardi Gras, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. For 55 years, the Royal Sonesta has hosted an annual "Greasing of the Poles," to kickoff Mardi Gras weekend in the French Quarter. Skip to main content. You are the owner of this article. Edit Parade-goers reach out for beads as the Krewe of Okeanos parades on the Uptown route in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune) During New Orleans’ festival season, people say, “Laissez les bons temps rouler” — or “Let the good times roll.” And, sure enough, Mardi Gras, and the carnival that leads up to it, is A girl catches a headband during the Krewe of Nereids Mardi Gras parade on Highway 90 in Bay St. Louis on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. New Orleans' efforts to reduce Mardi Gras waste and reuse beads and throws have been ongoing for decades and involve a complicated web of community groups, leaders and businesses. Carnival lasts The festival of Mardi Gras comes before the Roman Catholic season of Lent. Lent is a period of 40 days that ends with Easter. Mardi Gras is also known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. The name Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday.” It comes from the fact that the festival takes place on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The likes of “Carnival Time,” “Mardi Gras Mambo,” “Go To the Mardi Gras,” “Big Chief” and “Second-Line, Pt. 1” are as baked into the Carnival season as king cake. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a rich cultural celebration with origins in ancient pagan rituals, now thriving in New Orleans. Explore. Search Saturday, Mar 01, 2025. New Delhi o C. GALVESTON, Texas — Parades and beads and vendors – oh my! Mardi Gras Galveston has taken over the island, with thousands of attendees from near and far soaking up more than a century worth of
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