History and Traditions of Mardi Gras

Many forms of the Mardi Gras festival are celebrated throughout the world. From the Carnival celebrations of Rio and Venius to the Mardi Gras festivals of Paris and New Orleans it is a time of the year when many corners of the World revel in merriment.

Mardi Gras can occur on any Tuesday from February 3 through March 9. The fluctuating date was established by the Catholic Church, which designed the Gregorian calendar with a fixed date for Christmas, but with moveable dates for other religious holidays. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25, and its exact date was set to coincide with the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras is always scheduled 47 days preceding Easter (the 40 days of Lent, plus seven Sundays).

Mardi Gras, in French meaning "Fat Tuesday" came to the United States from Paris where it has been celebrated since the Middle Ages. In 1699, French explorer Iberville and his men explored the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. On a spot 60 miles south of the present location of New Orleans, they set up camp on the river's West Bank. Knowing that the day, March 3, was being celebrated as a major holiday in France, they christened the site Point du Mardi Gras.

But Mardi Gras roots predate the French. Many see a relationship to the ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring. Beads, jewelry, gold, and trinkets have always been associated with friendship and camaraderie of the event. In the late 1700's pre-Lenten balls and fetes were held in New Orleans. Under French rule masked balls flourished, but were later banned by the Spanish governors. The prohibition continued when New Orleans became an American city in 1803, but by 1823, the Creole populace prevailed upon the American governor, and balls (or masked parties) were again permitted. Four years later street masking was legalized and thus the American tradition of celebrating Mardi Gras was begun.

Since Rex, the first King of the Carnival in New Orleans, selected them in 1872, the official colors of Mardi Gras have been purple, gold and green. While they were probably chosen simply because they looked good together. Rex assigned a meaning to each in his 1892 parade, entitled "Symbolism of Colors". Purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and gold signifies power.

Some traditions associated with Mardi Gras include: the selection of the "Court" - the King, Queen, maids, and dukes of a Carnival organization. "Doubloons" are often given or sold by Krewes who work as a non-profit group who help the community and provide enjoyment to others. The "King Cake" is a favorite tradition of the Carnival season in New Orleans. More than 750,000 king cakes are annually consumed in the metro New Orleans area during this time. Also, Mardi Gras would not be complete if one did not take part in the collecting or sharing of beads.

So if you're new to the Mardi Gras tradition, you're invited to participate by celebrating the Carnival season and sharing the spirit of friendship and camaraderie.