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. A Mardi Gras parade on Royal Street in Mobile during the 2006 season. Mobile, founded by Bienville in 1702, is known for having the oldest organized Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, beginning in 1703. [9] How is Mardi Gras celebrated? While Mardi Gras is traditionally a Catholic celebration, modern Mardi Gras celebrations have welcomed people of all backgrounds with open arms and glittering beaded necklaces. Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States often include parades, carnival masks, and decorations in purple, green, and gold. The origins of Mardi Gras in the United States can be traced back to medieval celebrations in Venice and Rome, as well as to the French House of the Bourbons, which held lavish celebrations. Those spread to the colonies and soon to southern settlements, including the Fort Louis de la Mobile, which was founded in 1703 and later became the city 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 In the United States, Mardi Gras is an event that is very much celebrated in some southern cities. French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras is always on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This year it will be held on Tuesday Feb. 13. 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 is traditionally celebrated on “Fat Tuesday,” the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. In many areas, however, Mardi Gras has evolved into a week-long festival. Mardi (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, 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. 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. According to the Mardi Gras New Orleans, Mardi Gras celebrations were common in the city by the 1730s, although the first recorded Mardi Gras parade didn’t float through the New Orlean’s One of the most culturally iconic celebrations in the United States, Mardi Gras is quickly approaching. More:When is Easter 2025? Ash Wednesday, Lent, Good Friday and other key dates. 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 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. Mardi Gras is the annual Carnival celebration in Mobile, Alabama.It is the oldest annual Carnival celebration in the United States, started by Frenchman Nicholas Langlois in 1703 when Mobile was the capital of Louisiana, fifteen years before New Orleans was founded. 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 Mardi Gras is celebrated in many countries around the world, but it is most associated with New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a time for revelry and celebration. The streets are filled with people in costumes, and there are parades and parties throughout the city. St. Louis does not host the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. According to statistics that are available and Bradley's estimation, St. Louis' celebration is smaller than Mardi Gras in the United States and Around the World. Today, Mardi Gras is celebrated in many parts of the world, with unique traditions and customs. In the United States, the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations take place in New Orleans, with the iconic parades and floats, as well as in other cities like Mobile, Alabama, and Galveston, Texas.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |