Like many of our holidays, has both pagan and religious roots, and has been celebrated for thousands of years. Our modern-day Mardi Gras grew out of ancient fertility rituals--like the Roman Lupercalia (a mid-February festival) and the French Fete du Soleil, or Festival of the Sun--which both welcomed Spring, and served as a reward for surviving the harsh winter. In essence, it celebrates the coming warm weather, and expresses a wish for bounty in the coming spring.
The Catholic Church encouraged its evolution to a Christian holiday. It spread from France to all Catholic countries and it flourished during the Middle Ages.
Mardi Gras begins on January 6, on the Twelfth Night feast of the Epiphany, the day the three kings visited Jesus Christ. Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday--the day before Ash Wednesday--is the day-long highlight of the season. It is a brief celebration before the penitential season of Lent.
While Mardi Gras has been celebrated for thousands of years--Ovid makes a reference to it--New Orleans started celebrating Mardi Gras in the 18th century. Mardi Gras was first mentioned in North America in 1699 in the writings of French explorer Pierre le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville. He was was exploring the Mississippi River, near New Orleans on March 3. With Mardi Gras being celebrated back home in France, he christened the spot Pointe du Mardi Gras.
In 1743, Governor Marquis de Vaudreuil hosted a Carnival ball in New Orleans, similar to the ones in Europe, where people marched and celebrated in the street. The first organized, official parade was in 1837, with marchers in costume. They threw sugar-coated peanuts to the crowd as the French had done. The first float, pulled by mules appeared in 1839. In 1857, a group called the Mystik Krewe of Comus staged the first modern-style, family-friendly Mardi Gras parade, with a torchlit evening procession of floats illustrating themes from classical mythology and literature.
Following the American Civil War (1861 - 1865), many new krewes, or clubs, began offering additional parades and balls. The Krewe of Rex, organized in 1872, established the tradition of crowning a King of Carnival, selected the carnival colors (purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power), and adopted the song "If Ever I Cease to Love" as a Mardi Gras anthem.
These colors were incorporated into the King Cake, which symbolizes the unity of faiths.
A newer tradition of Mardi Gras is the Phunny Phorty Phellows (PPP), a group of about 50 costumed men and women who trumpet the official opening of the carnival season on January 6 by riding a decorated streetcar and tossing favors to onlookers.
So here's wishing you good luck!
Make it a good one!
Links:
Mardi Gras Masks
Kids' Activities
History of the King Cake
How Stuff Works--History of Mardi Gras--and Family fun in New Orleans
Mardi Gras History
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