Gallery
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Also known as Carnival or Carnaval, it’s celebrated in 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] Mardi Gras comes to a close on Tuesday night, and soon, those who celebrate will exclaim “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll” for the last time this Carnival season. 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. Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States are often associated with the parades and parties of New Orleans, Louisiana, but the holiday has been celebrated around the world for hundreds of years 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. Why is Mardi Gras celebrated? Mardi Gras is celebrated in many countries around the world, though mainly in places with large Roman Catholic populations. It's believed that Mardi Gras emerged from the wild ancient Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. These pagan celebrations involved days of feasting, masquerading, dancing, and drinking. The all-male krewe has been staging Mardi Gras events in New Orleans since 1872 and are the ones who started the tradition of using the holiday’s famous colors: yellow, purple, and green. Mardi Gras became an “official” Christian holiday in 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII instituted the namesake Gregorian calendar still in use today. By recognizing Mardi Gras as an overture to Lent, the idea was for all the partying and foolery to be over with when it came time to observe the requisite austerities. Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast. The conclusion falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is seen as a final day of feasting and revelry before the solemnity of Lent. The term “Mardi Gras” means “Fat Tuesday” in French, signifying the day before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, this day was marked by indulging in rich foods before Lent, a period of fasting. From its early days, Mardi Gras became associated with various customs, such as masks and costumes. As with many Christian holidays, the celebrations of Carnival and Mardi Gras were probably adapted in some way from pagan festivals. It may be rooted in a primitive festival celebrating the rebirth of nature; in Italy, it may be linked to the pagan Saturnalian festival of ancient Rome.[#1782] Mardi Gras is not just for humans; New Orleans hosts a "Krewe of Barkus" parade, where dogs don costumes and join the fun. The largest Mardi Gras float ever built was over 330 feet long and carried more than 200 riders. Mardi Gras in Popular Culture. Mardi Gras has made its mark in popular culture, appearing in movies, music, and literature. Today, Mardi Gras is most commonly associated with New Orleans, Louisiana, where it has become a massive cultural event. The festival brings millions of visitors to the city every year, with parades, parties, and endless supplies of food and drinks. Mardi Gras is now a global holiday, and while it is still associated with excess and debauchery, it is also a time for family and community. In New Orleans, the site of the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States, the holiday is a time for parades, parties, and fun. While Mardi Gras is celebrated in various forms around the world, it is most famously associated with New Orleans, Louisiana. Over the centuries, Mardi Gras in New Orleans has evolved into a grand and extravagant celebration, deeply rooted in the city’s unique blend of French, African, Spanish, and Caribbean cultures. Mardi Gras is not the only holiday that has a set of colors associated with it. In fact, every holiday has its own colors with special meanings! Visit our guides to the colors of Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day to learn more about color theory and why certain colors represent these holidays. Unlike most holidays that have a fixed date, the date of Mardi Gras changes every year. It always falls the Tuesday before Lent begins.. Mardi Gras is a day of partying and feasting before entering the penitential season of Lent, which honors the 40 days and nights Jesus spent in the desert resisting the temptations of Satan. The term “Mardi Gras” is French for “Fat Tuesday,” which refers to the practice of indulging in rich, fatty foods before the fasting and penance associated with the Lenten season. The Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras, is a period of festivities, parties, and parades, characterized by vibrant colors, music, dancing, and There's a lot of fun associated with the holiday! We've got the big celebrations that take place over in New Orleans, for one. But even those who don't travel to the southern city can join in on the spirit by whipping up some Mardi Gras themed food and festive desserts .
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |