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Dancing in Congo Square, 1886. Mardi Gras Indians have been practicing their traditions in New Orleans since at least the 18th century. The colony of New Orleans was founded by the French in 1718, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha Tribe, and within the first decade 5,000 enslaved Africans were trafficked to the colony. *The Mardi Gras Indians are celebrated on this date (Fat Tuesday) in 1732. These African Americans participate as a cultural foundation of New Orleans and Mardi gras history. The Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secret society as any other carnival organization. The heritage of the Mardi Gras Indians is an African based long and hard road, starting in late 1600's with the Indian A Mardi Gras Indian at a New Orleans jazz festival in 2011 Tulane Public Relations via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0. For much of their existence, the Indians The Mardi Gras Indians named themselves after native Indians to pay them respect for their assistance in escaping the tyranny of slavery. It was often local Indians who accepted slaves into their society when they made a break for freedom. They have never forgotten this support. Long ago, Mardi Gras was a violent day for many Mardi Gras Indians. The history of the Mardi Gras Indians is one of challenges and triumph. Traditionally, Mardi Gras krewes (social organizations) were all white and excluded African Americans from their parades and opulent balls. Being part of a krewe has always been an exclusive experience. Some events are open to members and others by invitation only. One of the most mysterious, fascinating, and colorful pieces of New Orleans’ cultural quilt belongs to Mardi Gras Indians, also referred to as Black Masking Indians. A unique and historic subculture of New Orleans, Black Masking Indians and their traditions date back to the 1800s when Native Americans provided safe refuge and a sense of 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 traditions range from king cakes to Mardi Gras Indians and Mardi Gras balls. Click here to learn about the history of Mardi Gras and the celebrations in New Orleans. The Pair-O-Dice Tumblers rambles from bar to bar in Marigny and the French Quarter from noon to dusk. Various groups of Mardi Gras Indians, divided into uptown and downtown tribes, parade in their finery. For upcoming Mardi Gras Dates through the year 2100 see Mardi Gras Dates. On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. Q: In which country did the tradition of Mardi Gras originate? A: France. Q: What famous Mardi Gras event was first held in 1857? A: The Krewe of Comus parade. Q: In which year did Mardi Gras in New Orleans first feature a parade with floats? A: 1857. Q: What was the original purpose of Mardi Gras celebrations? 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. Of course, this is up for some debate. 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 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] Once shrouded in secrecy, with little interest in sharing their traditions with the outside world, Black Masking Indians, also known as Mardi Gras Indians, have become celebrated icons whose music draws Grammy nominations and whose history and folkways command serious attention from scholars and media outlets, documentary filmmakers and major cultural institutions. 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. The Mardi Gras Indians were black "gangs" whose members "masked" as American Indians on Mardi Gras day to honor them. Black Mardi Gras Indians felt a spiritual affinity with Native American Indians. On Mardi Gras day gang members roamed their neighborhoods looking to confront other gangs in a show of strength that sometimes turned violent. The Mardi Gras Indians did not originate with a Eurocentric idea from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (front page, Feb. 19). Blacks appeared in the streets of New Orleans during Carnival dressed in 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. Two additional dates of historic importance in New Orleans Mardi Gras lore are 1875, the year the State of Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal state holiday, and 1889, the year of the first documented reference of women exposing their breasts at the event, reported by a Times-Democrat reporter who observed, “the degree of immodesty
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