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Mardi Gras is a tradition that dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of spring and fertility, including the raucous Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. The celebration of Mardi Gras has evolved over the centuries, but at its core, it remains a celebration of life, community, and indulgence. Originally rooted in religious traditions, Mardi Gras serves as a final opportunity to enjoy rich foods, drink, and revelry before the fasting and solemnity of Lent. In 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles south of New Orleans and named it “Pointe du Mardi Gras,” recognizing the eve of the festive holiday. Over the following decades, the traditions of Mardi Gras were further shaped by the influences of French and Spanish settlers. At the heart of it, Mardi Gras is also a Christian holiday traced to pagan spring and fertility rites dating back thousands of years that has become a popular cultural phenomenon worldwide. And although Mardi Gras is today most closely associated with New Orleans, Louisiana, it is observed in hundreds of cities in more than fifty countries. Mardi Gras is so much more special when you understand what you’re celebrating and what each tradition means to the generations of parade-goers who have stood on parade routes before you. There is a story and a purpose behind everything you’ll experience during Carnival Time – from the king cake you’ll eat to the flambeaux who light the The very first American Mardi Gras celebration took place in March 1699 after two French settlers landed near present-day New Orleans and brought their traditions with them. The French colonists who followed over the proceeding decades introduced the "Galette des Rois," or king cake, which is how it became a New Orleanian symbol. The date of Mardi Gras each year is contingent upon a few factors. This year, Mardi Gras will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the United States. How is the date of Mardi Gras determined each year? Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” does not fall on the same day every year, but it is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the 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). Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, the season is known as Carnival and begins on 12th Night, January 6th, and extends until midnight before Ash Wednesday. Club, or Krewe The all-male krewe has been staging Mardi Gras events in New Orleans since 1872 and are the ones who started the tradition of using the holiday’s famous colors: yellow, purple, and green. 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 Mardi Gras: Community and Tradition. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is deeply rooted in community and tradition. The krewes that organize the parades and balls are often multi-generational, with families passing down their roles and responsibilities. This creates a strong sense of continuity and cultural heritage. The Latin root of the word Carnival is carne vale, which means “farewell to meat” — a reference to the upcoming 40-day fast of Lent that commences at midnight on Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday was named because it was a time of extravagant feasting of rich foods such as meat or pancakes before the upcoming fast. Plan your visit to Houma, and experience the joy, tradition, and culture of our unforgettable Mardi Gras celebration. Stay tuned to ExploreHouma.com for parade updates, route details, and everything you need to make the most of Mardi Gras 2025. Houma, it’s your time to shine—Mardi Gras season is here! Let’s celebrate Bayou Country style! Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats and excitement. It's one big holiday in New Orleans! Revelers know to wear costumes or at least dress in purple, green, and gold, and adorn themselves with long beads caught from the floats of previous parades. Well-known traditions of New Orleans Mardi Gras are a version of historic celebrations, but true Cajun tradition is found in Courir de Mardi Gras. Courir de Mardi Gras is rooted in French Lauren Fontenot, a former teller at our Opelousas branch, attended the Courir de Mardi Gras and chicken chase every year. She gave us some insight into its deeply-rooted history: “Many areas of our state hold on to very rooted Mardi Gras traditions. New Orleans and other metropolitan areas celebrate Mardi Gras by participating in grand parades. The King Cake holds a place of honor in Mardi Gras traditions. This pastry, shaped into a ring, is decorated with colorful icing and sugars in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold. Baked inside the cake is a small plastic baby figurine representing the baby Jesus. To the untrained eye, Courir de Mardi Gras looks a bit like a medieval uprising-themed bachelor party. But behind the drunken revelry and chaotic costumes, it’s a deeply rooted tradition that Mardi Gras is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of New Orleans, and it’s essential for visitors to respect and appreciate the traditions that have shaped this celebration over centuries. The krewes, or organizations responsible for organizing and presenting the parades, play a significant role in upholding the traditions and customs of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, has been in full swing since Jan. 6 and will close with a final celebration on March 4 with a Fat Tuesday celebration. Mardi Gras is rooted in the traditions of
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