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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] 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 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 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. The History of New Orleans Mardi Gras . Although the date of the first organized celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is debatable, the 1730 account of one Marc-Antoine Caillot (a young clerk sent to Louisiana by the French Company of the Indies) mentions a celebration with music and dance, mask-wearing and costumes—including cross-dressing. 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. What does Mardi Gras mean? Translated to English, "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday." Mardi is the French word for Tuesday, and gras means "fat." This name comes from the custom of eating all the fatty, rich foods in the house prior to Lent in order to prepare for fasting and abstinence. So, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Every year, as winter fades and spring approaches, the streets of New Orleans explode with color, music, and celebration. Mardi Gras, the grandest festival in Louisiana, is famous for its parades, beads, masked revelers, and deep cultural traditions. However, the most authentic Louisiana Mardi Gras traditions and celebrations can be found in Cajun Country during Courir de Mardi Gras. Cajun Country, or Acadiana, is a region in South Central 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). While Mardi Gras is celebrated in various forms around the world, it is most famously associated with New Orleans, Louisiana. Over the centuries, Mardi Gras in New Orleans has evolved into a grand and extravagant celebration, deeply rooted in the city’s unique blend of French, African, Spanish, and Caribbean cultures. In 1870, Mardi Gras' second Krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers, was formed. This is also the first recorded account of Mardi Gras "throws.". Newspapers began to announce Mardi Gras events in advance, and they even printed "Carnival Edition" lithographs of parades' fantastic float designs (after they rolled, of course - themes and floats were always carefully guarded before the procession). Brian Costello, author of Carnival in Louisiana: Celebrating Mardi Gras from the French Quarter to the Red River, writes, "The Carnival season and Mardi Gras day trace their roots from the Bacchanalia and Saturnalia ritual promiscuity of Roman times. With the spread of Christianity, similar revelry occurred during the period of carnival (Latin Mardi Gras measures 181,808 GT [4] and has a maximum passenger capacity of 6,500 passengers, with approximately 2,000 crew members. [5] [6] Mardi Gras is divided into six zones incorporating themed elements and spaces that host activities and events and also house various dining and shopping outlets. [7] Whether the first Mardi Gras in the country was held in New Orleans or Mobile, Alabama, is up for debate, but the Louisiana State Museum suggests that French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville There is no pinpointing the origins of the celebration known today as Carnival or Mardi Gras. Indeed, because its most elemental characteristics — drinking and feasting, dancing and music, masks and costumes — extend back into the mists of time, there’s no tidy way to connect the dots between prehistoric cave paintings of dancing stick-like figures wearing animal masks and the modern pre And that history is far more religious than we usually recognize. Mardi Gras is French for ‘Fat Tuesday.’ Mardi Gras is the final day of the festivities known as Carnival and is celebrated in predominately Catholic locations around the world—most famously in cities such as New Orleans and Rio de Jainaro. Mardi Gras masks are more than just festive accessories—they carry a rich history and cultural significance. Every detail, Mardi Gras color and design tells a story, and the artists who craft 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. For a large part of Louisiana, this isn’t the true Mardi Gras. We’re talking about local Cajun Mardi Gras—complete with a chicken chase! Cajun Mardi Gras, or Courir de Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday Run), has been a staple in southern Louisiana for hundreds of years. The tradition dates back to 17th-century Europe; Europeans who settled in the
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