Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama, is the oldest Carnival celebration in the U.S.—even older than the one in New Orleans. The first known Mardi Gras celebration in the United States took place in this coastal Alabama town in 1703, and the town prides itself on being the birthplace of the American Mardi Gras tradition. It’s no secret that New Orleans hosts the largest and most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. As a historic French settlement and one of the rumored sites of the first Mardi Gras, NOLA goes all out for the holiday with more than 80 parades throughout Mardi Gras season. The largest and most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the USA is in New Orleans, where Fat Tuesday is a legal holiday. NOLA has been celebrating Mardi Gras since the early 18th century and the Here are four other U.S. cities that celebrate Mardi Gras in style. Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama. Enjoy the spectacle of a nighttime parade in Mobile, Alabama — Photo courtesy of Visit Mobile. Home of the first Mardi Gras celebration in America, Mobile proudly continues to honor long established traditions with parties, masked balls, and 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. Les Gilles de Binche celebrating Mardi Gras in Binche, Belgium. Mark Renders/Stringer/Getty Images 4. Binche, Belgium. Celebrated south of Brussels in Belgium’s Hainaut province from March 2-4, the Carnival of Binche centers on the area’s unique folklore. You may have seen its concluding March of the Gilles, which takes place on Mardi Gras. 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. (Flickr user Dave Herholz). Outside of New Orleans, St. Louis claims to host the United State's largest Mardi Gras party. Founded by the French some 250 years ago, the Soulard district—a Mardi Gras - or Fat Tuesday - is celebrated in the United States each year on the day before the beginning of Lent, the fasting period for the Catholic church. Best cities to visit for Mardi 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. In 1703, French colonists in Mobile, Alabama, celebrated the first recorded Mardi Gras in North America, and in 1718, New Orleans was established, eventually becoming the epicenter of Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States. The Evolution of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. While Mardi Gras is celebrated in various forms around the world, it is Not only is Mardi Gras, sometimes referred to as Fat Tuesday, a time to grab your beer and colorful beads, but it’s a day full of celebration. Originally started in medieval Europe, Mardi Gras is a day to indulge and celebrate before Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. Mardi Gras is celebrated with devotion throughout Louisiana and over in the Gulf states of Mississippi and Texas. Carnivals and parades abound during Mardi Gras season, from Epiphany until Fat Tuesday. Seas of purple, gold, and green (symbolizing justice, power, and faith) can be seen everywhere. Mardi Gras Parade Krewes select their kings of Kingsland held its 31st annual Mardi Gras celebration featuring more than 200 vendors and a parade with more than 40 floats. state news, national news, world news and opinions. 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, a festival that came to the United States as a French Catholic tradition, is celebrated on March 1 this year. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” reflecting the practice of The first Mardi Gras celebration in America was celebrated in 1703 in the settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile. Mardi Gras was celebrated soon after the city of New Orleans was founded in 1718 New Orleans is the most famous city for Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, but Mobile, Alabama, claims to have the oldest annual Carnival celebration in the country, dating back to 1703. Mardi Gras Traditions. Mardi Gras is known for its unique and lively traditions. Mardi Gras was celebrated soon after the city of New Orleans was founded in 1718, but was briefly banned when the Spanish took control of New Orleans until Louisiana became a U.S. state in 1812 Outside of the United States, Mardi Gras is celebrated in various countries around the world, including Brazil, Italy, and the Caribbean islands. The Brazilian Carnival, held in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the largest and most famous Mardi Gras celebrations globally.
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