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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 The Rex parade gave Mardi Gras the official colors of purple to represent justice, green to represent faith, and gold to represent power. The three colors were to represent the “king.” In 1872, the city of New Orleans was struggling through years of Reconstruction. Webber, a New Orleans native, said Mardi Gras isn’t just a party but a cultural celebration in Louisiana. Mardi Gras allows people to celebrate before the Lenten season, where people become more Why does New Orleans celebrate Mardi Gras? Although it is a Christian holiday now, Mardi Gras is a holiday that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites, according to the New Orleans Social Clubs or Gentlemen's Clubs play a very large part in the Mardi Gras celebration. The oldest is The Boston Club (third oldest in the United States), founded in 1841 as a place for its members to congregate and partake in the fashionable card game of Boston , Rex Royalty is chosen from among its ranks. The tradition in New Orleans expanded to the point that it became synonymous with the city in popular perception, and embraced by residents of New Orleans beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. Mardi Gras celebrations are part of the basis of the slogan Laissez les bons temps rouler ("Let the good times roll"), as floats "roll." The essence of Mardi Gras lies in its parades. Each parade, from little walking krewes to large processions with elaborate floats, follows a different theme, displaying the originality and energy of New Orleans. Notable parades to watch out for include: No Mardi Gras experience is complete without 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. 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. Mardi Gras Colors. In 1872, Rex, the king of Carnival, proclaimed the official colors of Mardi Gras to be purple, green and gold. While Arthur Hardy believes they were probably chosen simply because they looked good together, Rex assigned a meaning to the colors in his 1892 parade titled Symbolism of Colors: Purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and gold signifies power. They say when LSU was deciding on its colors, the shops in New Orleans had stocked up on purple, green, and gold for the Mardi Gras season. LSU decided upon purple and gold, and bought much of it. Tulane bought much of the only remaining color – green. Origins of the Mardi Gras Colors. The colors of Mardi Gras – purple, green, and gold, can be found as early as 1872 at a carnival organized by the company Rex for a Russian aristocrat’s arrival. Rex has held parades in New Orleans for 148 years and continues to be its most prominent parade organizer to date. Rex, which is “king” in History of Mardi Gras masks. If you find yourself in New Orleans, watching the Mardi Gras parade, you’ll see many people wearing Mardi Gras masks. You may be surprised to find out that wearing masks is one of the original Mardi Gras traditions. The Mardi Gras mask history dates back to the very first Mardi Gras celebrations. Throwing beads is a way for people on the floats to interact with the crowd and share in the Mardi Gras festivities. What do the beads mean in New Orleans? In New Orleans, beads used during Mardi Gras are typically purple, green, and gold. These three colors have Christian symbolism, representing justice, faith, and power respectively. Q: What does the color gold represent in Mardi Gras? A: Power. Mardi Gras Foods. Q: What is the name of the fried dough treat that is popular during Mardi Gras? A: Beignets. Q: What type of drink is often enjoyed during Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans? A: Hurricane cocktail. Q: What type of seafood dish is a New Orleans Mardi Gras specialty Mardi Gras, New Orleans style, owes as much to Afro-Caribbean customs and the Latin American carnival tradition as it does to the French colonists who established it in their new city. The Mardi Gras celebrations actually last for several weeks. About a month before the main carnival, a season of elaborate balls and parties begins: the official From beads adorned with beloved sports team logos to ones featuring quirky designs or personalized messages, custom beads have become a way for people to showcase their individuality and create unique connections during Mardi Gras celebrations. Beads Beyond Mardi Gras: Year-Round Meaning. Although Mardi Gras is the most prominent time to flaunt The title bestowed upon the potentate of the Twelfth Night Revelers at their debut in 1870. In olden times, as James Gill explains in his book Lords of Misrule: Mardi Gras and the Politics of Race in New Orleans, the name was given to “the humorous fellow who organized revels from Christmas to Twelfth Night in the great houses of Europe.” 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.
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