by Tamera Coble

Created on: February 08, 2010

When people think of Mardi Gras, they often think of New Orleans. Its origins and history date back to thousands of years ago. 

In French, Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday." It is the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Carnival celebrations begin on or after the Epiphany. It refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting and religious obligations associated with Lent. It is the last opportunity for merrymaking and indulgence. 

In mid February the ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, which was a circus like festival that is not entirely different from the Mardi Gras we are familiar with today. When Rome embraced Christianity, the early Church fathers decided it was better to incorporate certain aspects of Pagan rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. Carnival became a period of abandon and merriment that preceded the penance of Lent, giving a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom.

Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 with French explorer Iberville. Mardi Gras had been celebrated in Paris since the middle Ages where it was a major holiday. Iberville sailed to the Gulf of mexico where he led an expedition on the Mississippi River. On March3, 1699 he set up a camp on the west bank of the river, sixty miles south of where New Orleans is today. This was the day that mardi gras was being celebrated in France. In honor of the day he named it Point du Mardi Gras.

In the late 1700s, pre-Lenten masked balls and festivals were common in New Orleans while it was under French rule. When New orleans came under Spanish rule, the custom was banned. In 1803, New Orleans came under the U.S. flag. Masked balls were still not allowed until 1823 when the Creole populace convinced governor to permit masked balls. In 1827 it was again legalized. 

In the early 1800s public celebrations of Mardi Gras centered around maskers on foot, in carriages and on horseback. The first documented parade occurred in 1837. Mardi Gras gained a negative reputation because of violent behavior attributed to maskers during the 1840s and 1850. The press began calling for an end to the celebration because the situation became so bad.

In 1857 six New Orleaneans saved Mardi Gras by forming the Comus organization. The Comus organization added beauty to Mardi Gras and demonstrated that it could be a safe and festive event. Comus was the first organization to use the term krewe to describe itself. 

In 1870 the Twelfth Night Revelers made their appearance. In 1871 they began the custom of presenting a young woman with a golden bean hidden in a cake.She known as   the first queen of Mardi Gras. This was also the origin of the king cake tradition. 

Carnival is an important celebration in Catholic European nations as well. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called "Shrovetide", and ends  on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular celebratory aspects as well. Pancakes and related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat and eggs are  traditionally consumed at this time in many parts of  the Caribbean and Latin America. 

Popular practices of Mardi Gras include: wearing costumes or masks, overturning social conventions, dancing and parades. 

Colors of Mardi Gras are: purple, which means justice, green for faith, and gold for power. 

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