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The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies. The first Mardi Gras parade was held in New Orleans on Feb. 24, 1857 by the Krewe of Comus. They began the tradition of presenting a parade with floats and following it with a ball for the krewe and their guests. The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the African-American communities of New Orleans's inner city. While these Indians have paraded for well over a century, their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition. 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. Mardi Gras masks in particular originated in ritual celebrations. New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras for hundreds of years, and is the largest masked party in North America. In the beginning, masks worn during Mardi Gras allowed wearers to escape society and class constraints. Mardi Gras Indian Masking means designing /creating a new costume each year. Larry Bannock wears a hand-beaded and feathered suit of original design that weighs between 100 and 150 pounds. The first official Mardi Gras flambeaux debuted with the Mistick Krewe of Comus on Fat Tuesday in 1857. In the beginning, the flambeaux were needed for revelers to see the Carnival parades at night. Laborde verifies that the colors of Mardi Gras can be traced to the first Rex parade in 1872. He cites newspapers of the day that included a proclamation from the King of the Carnival deigning that balconies should be draped in purple, green and gold. Originally, king cakes were a simple ring of dough with a small amount of decoration. After the rich dough is braided and baked, the top of the cake is covered with delicious sugar toppings in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold (purple for "justice," green for "faith" and gold for "power"). Those who believe New Orleans gets the crown say the first Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Bienville and Iberville put down stakes on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about 60 miles downriver from the site of what would become the Crescent City. The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies. The first Mardi Gras parade was held in New Orleans on Feb. 24, 1857 by the Krewe of Comus. They began the tradition of presenting a parade with floats and following it with a ball for the krewe and their guests. The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the African-American communities of New Orleans's inner city. While these Indians have paraded for well over a century, their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition. 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. Mardi Gras masks in particular originated in ritual celebrations. New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras for hundreds of years, and is the largest masked party in North America. In the beginning, masks worn during Mardi Gras allowed wearers to escape society and class constraints. Mardi Gras Indian Masking means designing /creating a new costume each year. Larry Bannock wears a hand-beaded and feathered suit of original design that weighs between 100 and 150 pounds. The first official Mardi Gras flambeaux debuted with the Mistick Krewe of Comus on Fat Tuesday in 1857. In the beginning, the flambeaux were needed for revelers to see the Carnival parades at night. Laborde verifies that the colors of Mardi Gras can be traced to the first Rex parade in 1872. He cites newspapers of the day that included a proclamation from the King of the Carnival deigning that balconies should be draped in purple, green and gold. Originally, king cakes were a simple ring of dough with a small amount of decoration. After the rich dough is braided and baked, the top of the cake is covered with delicious sugar toppings in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold (purple for "justice," green for "faith" and gold for "power"). Those who believe New Orleans gets the crown say the first Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Bienville and Iberville put down stakes on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about 60 miles downriver from the site of what would become the Crescent City.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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