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Rex, one of the oldest Mardi Gras krewes, has been participating in parades since 1872 and established purple, gold and green as the iconic Mardi Gras colors. Louisiana is the only state in which Why Do We Celebrate Mardi Gras? The celebration of Mardi Gras has evolved over the centuries, but at its core, it remains a celebration of life, community, and indulgence . Originally rooted in religious traditions, Mardi Gras serves as a final opportunity to enjoy rich foods, drink, and revelry before the fasting and solemnity of Lent. 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] While New Orleans may be most known for Mardi Gras in the U.S. today, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America’s very first Mardi Gras in 1703. Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans soon after the city’s founding in 1718. The first recorded Mardi Gras street parade in New Orleans took place in 1837. In 2025, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4. Mardi Gras—just one of the festival’s many names—is marked by raucous parties and parades, revelers wearing elaborate costumes, and delicious “The actual reason behind Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras is a very left-handed Catholic holiday. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, Ash Wednesday begins Lent, you take penitence, give up drinking, smoking, whatever you do as a penance. So Mardi Gras was kind of designed to be a last party.” For the folks in Grand Marais, Mardi Gras isn’t just one day. 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. 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. 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. What is Mardi Gras and why do we celebrate it? Did you know that Mardi Gras is actually a religious holiday? Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, is a Christian feast day that occurs during a period of time known as Carnival. Carnival begins on January 6 (known as Epiphany or Three Kings Day) and concludes with Mardi Gras. You don’t need a big party to celebrate Mardi Gras. Simple things like using purple, green, and gold decorations can make your home feel like New Orleans. Playing jazz and cooking Louisiana dishes can also bring the carnival spirit to your home. Mardi Gras is about joy, community, and making memories that last. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early 1740s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today. Let your tee shirt do the talking while you're trying to catch beads. Here are 11 things we all want to say at Mardi Gras. “There are lots of questions—I think open questions—about the prehistory of the organizations we know as Mardi Gras Indians that take us all the way back, potentially, into the 16th century Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is a vibrant celebration filled with parades, music, and colorful costumes. But what exactly is Mardi Gras, and why is it celebrated? Mardi Gras marks the last day before Lent, a period of fasting and reflection for many Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats and excitement. It's one big holiday in New Orleans! Revelers know to wear costumes or at least dress in purple, green, and gold, and adorn themselves with long beads caught from the floats of previous parades. New Orleans, Louisiana, holds the most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Residents of New Orleans have been celebrating Mardi Gras since the 18th century" ("Mardi Gras," Encarta). Mardi Gras " is a lively, colorful [not to mention bawdy and debased] celebration held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins ," says the 10. Mardi Gras is More Than New Orleans. When you hear “Mardi Gras” do you only think of the New Orleans celebration? Think again. Mardi Gras is celebrated around the state! Cajun Mardi Gras can be found in the Lafayette and Eunice area. In Baton Rouge, parades roll many weekends before and during Mardi Gras. 2024 Mardi Gras NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 12: The King of Proteus, whose identity is never revealed to the public, leads his krewe's 2024 parade along the traditional Uptown parade route Mardi Gras has pagan roots and it is no wonder that we see a lot of its negative consequences. If it is of God, it should edify us more. But as you have already observed, Mardi Gras brings us farther from God. The Bible gave us a stern warning if we still choose to celebrate Mardi Gras after knowing the truth. We read in Galatians 5:19-21:
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