Gallery
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
A Mardi Gras parade on Royal Street in Mobile during the 2006 season. Mobile, founded by Bienville in 1702, is known for having the oldest organized Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, beginning in 1703. [9] It was also host to the first formally organized Mardi Gras parade in the United States in 1830. [9] However, elaborate carnival festivities draw crowds in other parts of the United States during the Mardi Gras season as well, including Alabama and Mississippi. Each region has its own events and History of Mardi Gras In 1703, Mobile, Alabama was the first city recorded to have the oldest organized Mardi Gras in the U.S., according to Curious Cuisiniere. "The first documented celebration of modern-day carnival, what people think of as carnival in the United States is historically without a doubt began in Mobile. In the United States the principal Carnival celebration is in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Carnival season there opens on Twelfth Night (also called Epiphany, which is observed on January 6) and climaxes with the Mardi Gras festivities commencing 10 days before Shrove Tuesday. This period is filled with citywide revelry and elaborate parades 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 miles south of present-day New Orleans 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. 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. 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 beginning of Lent. Mardi Gras in the United States and Around the World. Today, Mardi Gras is celebrated in many parts of the world, with unique traditions and customs. In the United States, the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations take place in New Orleans, with the iconic parades and floats, as well as in other cities like Mobile, Alabama, and Galveston, Texas. After the Civil War, Comus returned to the parade scene in 1866. Four years later, the Twelfth Night Revelers debuted. This unique group made Carnival history at its 1871 ball when a young women was presented with a golden bean hidden inside a giant cake, signifying her selection as Mardi Gras’ first queen and starting the “king cake” tradition. The History of Mardi Gras What is the origin of Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras has its origins in medieval Europe, especially in France and Italy. The tradition was brought to the United States by French explorers in the 17th century. It became widely celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana, where it has grown into the famous festival we know today. Mardi Gras' origins can be traced back to France and Italy, but today, New Orleans is the largest and most famous place for the event. Is Mardi Gras celebrated in other countries? The Origins of Mardi Gras. The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced back to ancient Roman festivals, particularly the pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. These festivals, held in midwinter, were marked by feasting, drinking, and a general sense of chaos and social reversal, during which societal rules were temporarily relaxed. As Mardi Gras, a vibrant and lively celebration, has a rich history in the United States that spans centuries. From its origins in Europe to its evolution in various American cities, Mardi Gras has become a beloved tradition that brings together communities with parades, costumes, and feasts. In the United States, the holiday is centered in the city of New Orleans. Thousands of revelers pack the streets each year for a celebration that includes floats, masked balls, and general merriment. The holiday’s origins in the United States date back to even before American independence. The Bryan Museum is pleased to present Mardi Gras: Origins. This exhibition is the first part of an annual three city exhibition review of the remarkable history of Mardi Gras in the United States. Starting on January 17, The Bryan Museum will first look at where Mardi Gras began in the United States beginning with Mobile, Alabama. Visit Louisiana during Carnival season and you’ll get caught up in a celebration that’s been part of the city’s history since the 1700s, but that doesn’t include the very first Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. The history of Mardi Gras goes back a long way — in fact, the first Mardi Gras party took place more than a In the United States, the holiday is centered in the city of New Orleans. Thousands of revelers pack the streets each year for a celebration that includes floats, masked balls, and general merriment. The holiday’s origins in the United States date back to even before American independence. The origins of Mardi Gras in the United States can be traced back to medieval celebrations in Venice and Rome, as well as to the French House of the Bourbons, which held lavish celebrations. Those spread to the colonies and soon to southern settlements, including the Fort Louis de la Mobile, which was founded in 1703 and later became the city In the United States, the holiday is centered in the city of New Orleans. Thousands of revelers pack the streets each year for a celebration that includes floats, masked balls, and general merriment. The holiday's origins in the United States date back to even before American independence.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |