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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 (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] 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. 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. Where did Mardi Gras originate from? The Roman tradition eventually made its way to medieval France, where it acquired the name we know today. Then, European colonists brought the huge, pre-Lenten festival to the Americas. Though it dates back to the Middle Ages, Mardi Gras is now one of the world's most colorful and vibrant festivals with 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. Of course, this is up for some debate. Some point to 1699 as year the first American Mardi Gras was held, when French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed about 60 What does Mardi Gras mean? In French, Mardi means “Tuesday” and gras means “fat.” That’s why the day is also referred to as Fat Tuesday. The word originated in France and was what people used to describe the day before Ash Wednesday, when they would binge on rich foods such as meat, eggs, milk, and cheese before Lent began. 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). A pivotal force in opening up participation in Mardi Gras, shaping the look parades and recruiting big-name celebrities to ride, he traveled to South Africa to woo African Zulus to come to Mardi Gras as a gift to the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, whose members were particularly hard hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. How did Mardi Gras, a religious holiday, become a time to cut loose and party hard? It originated from French tradition and began as an annual carnival celebration in Louisiana in the 1700s. Today, it has become a month-long event in New Orleans with parades through the French Quarter, eating king cakes, and throwing colored beads into crowds King Cakes are more than just a tasty treat; they symbolize the spirit of the season and are a fun way for friends and families to come together during Mardi Gras. Why Do We Celebrate Mardi Gras? The celebration of Mardi Gras has evolved over the centuries, but at its core, it remains a celebration of life, community, and indulgence. Originally Mobile Carnival poster from 1900. Floats lining up for an Order of Inca parade in 2007. Mardi Gras is the annual Carnival celebration in Mobile, Alabama.It is the oldest official Carnival celebration in the United States, started by Frenchman Nicholas Langlois in 1703 when Mobile was the capital of Louisiana. Learn the history & origin of Mardi Gras from Arthur Hardy, the world's foremost authority on Mardi Gras. Insider Tours offers vacation packages featuring all the BEST that Mardi Gras 2025 has to offer! Parade tickets, Bourbon St. Balcony Party, ghost tour, swamp tour, plantation tour, beads, gu And wait till you hear the ingredient list: 4,000 pounds of Danish flour, 286 pounds of yeast, 428 dozen eggs, 1,178 pounds of water, 8.925 gallons of flavoring, 2,087 pounds of icing, 331 pounds Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a sedate French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, [3] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. “Quand Mardi gras est de vert vêtu, Pâques met des habits blancs.“ (When Mardi Gras is dressed in green, Easter is dressed in white.) “Le soir de Mardi gras, il faut danser sur les fumiers pour avoir des navets.” (On Mardi Gras night, you must dance on the manure to get turnips..) “Mardi gras sous la pluie, l’hiver s’enfuit.” Mardi Gras Free Printables This collection features a wide range of printables, including word searches, crosswords, scattergories, and trivia quizzes to test your knowledge of Mardi Gras. It also includes potluck sign-up sheets for coordinating food contributions from guests, tracing worksheets for younger fans, and charades cards for engaging Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is Carnival’s culmination with a day of parades, parties and indulgence before Lent. The tradition of “parade throws” is thought to have originated in the 1920s After all, Mobile is the 'Birthplace of Mardi Gras,' holding the first celebrations in the country in 1703. Mobile is the birthplace of America's original Mardi Gras. That's right, Mardi Gras originated in 1703 right here in our port city.
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