I found it funny that when I moved to San Diego, California – one of the biggest melting pots in America – that Mardi Gras was no big deal. In fact, some people I worked with didn’t even know what it was. I couldn’t even fathom that. After all, being raised in the South, Mardi Gras was a “holiday” I was aware of each year. Of course, living in Memphis was not like being in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but you could still find King Cakes in the grocery store and there was always someone running around town with beads around their neck.
In case you don’t know, Mardi Gras (which is French for Fat Tuesday) is always the day before Ash Wednesday. That means it is tomorrow. It is the final day of Carnival. The two weeks before Mardi Gras, the streets of New Orleans are filled with parades. I always heard it described as the big blow out party to end all parties. That is because the next day, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of Lent, the period that lasts until Holy Saturday. Lent is a time of reflection and prayer in which many Christians give up something. It used to be food, but now, many people give up other things that mean something to them.
Mardi Gras is celebrated other places like Rio de Janeiro, Venice, Salvador da Bahia, and Mazatlán, but for us, New Orleans is the hub of Mardi Gras. The celebration came to us through the Le Moyne brother. Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville were sent here by King Louis XIV to defend France’s claim on land in what is now Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It is believed that the first Mardi Gras celebration was in 1703 in Mobile, Alabama, which was the first capital of French Louisiana. The next year, the first masked ball, Masque De La Mobile was held and in 1704, the first parade occurred.
Today, thousands travel to New Orleans each year to celebrate Mardi Gras. They are treated to parades and parties, many of them held in the famous French Quarter. There are estimated to be 60 different krewes (organizations) that celebrate Mardi Gras by dressing in costumes, creating floats for the parades, and throwing beads and small items to the bystanders. They also have fancy balls, many of which are by invitation only. The colors of Mardi Gras are green, purple, and gold. They were chosen by the krewe Rex in 1872. Purple stands for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
For more information on Mardi Gras, visit the official site.