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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. Though pre-Lenten Mardi Gras balls and parties were held in New Orleans as early as the mid-1700s, the first documented parade in the city did not occur until 1837. This first parade more resembled a procession of revelers in costume than it did the large, organized parades of today. Mardi Gras History and Traditions Learn about the famed celebration's cultural roots and traditions. 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. The History & Traditions of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in Louisiana since the 18th century, brought by French settlers. Today’s traditions stem from European carnival customs mixed with local culture, creating a uniquely New Orleans spectacle. New Orleans Mardi Gras traditions. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is more than just a party—it’s an unforgettable experience that draws a staggering 1.4 million visitors each year. The Mardi Gras traditions show off New Orleans’ rich culture. Get ready to be wowed by the creativity and passion that make this celebration so special! The Rich History Behind Mardi Gras Celebrations. The history of Mardi Gras is a captivating story that spans centuries and continents. It started as a simple feast before Lent in medieval Europe. 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). 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. New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early 1740s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today. Mardi Gras Past and Present Traditions from the past that live on today. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans since the explorer Iberville first set foot here on Mardi Gras Day 1699. In French colonial days, wealthy members of Creole society threw lavish Mardi Gras balls from Twelfth Night (Jan. 6) to Fat Tuesday Eve. 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 While most people think of parades when they think of Mardi Gras, there are plenty of other traditions too. The King and Queen of each krewe work all year long for the big, spectacular ball. Their identity is a closely guarded secret and part of the mystique until the night of the Ball. Black Mardi Gras in New Orleans is more than a celebration. It is a powerful display of culture, history, and resilience. Rooted in African American traditions, it brings together music, dance, and storytelling. Everything you need to know about Mardi Gras, including updated parade routes, traditions, the best places to get Mardi Gras beads, masks, king cakes and more! Many believe that throwing a Mardi Gras mask into a fire at the end of the festival releases bad energy and ensures a fresh start. North Side Skull and Bone Gang: A Wake-Up Call. Dating back to 1819, the North Side Skull and Bone Gang is one of New Orleans’ oldest Mardi Gras traditions. Mardi Gras in New Orleans: what to eat, drink and do. Carnival season includes a variety of festivities and traditions—elegant balls, colorful parades, king cake, costumes—that rival any The throwing of trinkets to the crowds was started in the early 1870s by the Twelfth Night Revelers, and is a time-honored expectation for young and old alike. Read more. Everything you need to know about Mardi Gras, including updated parade routes, traditions, the best places to get Mardi Gras beads, masks, king cakes and more! 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. The Mardi Gras that locals grew up with, enjoyed and love is occurring in every other part of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs - not in the French Quarter. The large, traditional Mardi Gras krewes who bring you the "Greatest Free Show on Earth" do not even parade through the Quarter because there is a size restriction on floats in that area.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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