The final day of Carnival is Mardi Gras, which is always the final day before Ash Wednesday. King cake is also known as the Twelfth Day cake because it celebrates Epiphany, a Christian holiday Mardi Gras is the last and "biggest day of celebration," according to Mardi Gras New Orleans. When is Mardi Gras? In 2025, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4. Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday are the same day, and they take place on March 4 in 2025. Mardi Gras marks the end of the pre-Lenten season. Fat Tuesday is a day of feasting before the fasting of Lent 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 The season, which represents a time of celebration before Christian Lent, lasts until Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is March 4, 2025. Between January 6 and March 4, enjoy parades, king cake, community celebrations, and more. For a list of future Mardi Gras Day dates, see here. Where in New Orleans can I experience Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras Day is the culmination of the Carnival season, a weeks-long party of excessive, over-the-top celebrations. also called Twelfth Night or Three Kings Day. So, while Mardi Gras and The Carnival season always begins on Jan. 6, which is King’s Day (Feast of the Epiphany). Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday), however, is on a different day each year. Fat Tuesday changes every year because Easter Sunday is never on the same Sunday each year. Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday. King Cake Only eaten during Mardi Gras, King cakes are a cross between a French pastry and a coffee cake, topped with icing and sugar in the Mardi Gras colors. They can be served on Three King’s Day (January 6) through the end of Mardi Gras. A small baby (representing Jesus) is hidden in the cake. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a one to a three-month stretch of the year in which the streets come alive with music, art, and costumed revelers. Beginning on Twelfth Night, January 6, the best season of the year is upon us: king cake, bead-tossing, and parading begins and only increases as we make our way toward Mardi Gras Day. Each Mardi Gras Parade has a unique history and theme. King Cakes; Bead Art; Mardi Gras Packages; PHOTOS & VIDEOS. Mande Kings Day 3:00pm view map ; The Mande Milkshakers is the Northshore’s first all-women marching organization. With over 80 members, the ladies work year-round promoting the pillars of fun, friendship, fitness and philanthropy through community and charity events. The Mardi Gras Tradition of King’s Day When you mention Carnival time, opulent parades, parties and displays of Mardi Gras celebrations immediately come to mind for most people. However, Mardi Gras is the very last day of Carnival. In two words—sensory overload. But more specifically, it's a frosted seasonal treat that Mardi Gras partygoers eat between January 6 (otherwise known as Epiphany, Three King's Day, or Twelfth Night, and Fat Tuesday), which is the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Typically, king cake is made of a rich brioche dough and a And wait till you hear the ingredient list: 4,000 pounds of Danish flour, 286 pounds of yeast, 428 dozen eggs, 1,178 pounds of water, 8.925 gallons of flavoring, 2,087 pounds of icing, 331 pounds Across New Orleans and in surrounding areas, people are gearing up for Mardi Gras season. This Saturday, Jan. 6, is King's Day. Also known as Twelfth Night and the Epiphany. As the modern American Mardi Gras officially kicks off on January 6th, marking the Twelfth Night and the Epiphany, King Cakes extend their allure beyond Louisiana. This sweet treat is available for the duration of Carnival season which spans from January 6th until concluding on Mardi Gras day, which falls on February 13th this year. Long before the Lord of Misrule reigned over the first pageant of the Twelfth Night Revelers in New Orleans, his ancient ancestor, the King of Saturnalia, set the precedent for a tradition that holds the key to understanding how a toothsome treat — king cake — became one of the most universal, and hungered for, symbols of Mardi Gras and New Orleans. King cake is only eaten during the Carnival season — which begins 12 days after Christmas, on Epiphany, or Twelfth Night — and ends on Mardi Gras Day. Decorating Mardi Gras king cakes at Dong Phuong Bakery & Restaurant in New Orleans. Whoever finds the trinket in their slice of cake gets to be “king” for a day and is also said to have The person who hosts the Mardi Gras party buys or makes the king cake, and since whoever finds the baby is said to be prosperous in the coming year, they take on the responsibility of providing the king cake for the next year.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |