Mardi Gras is a vibrant tapestry of music, parades, picnics, floats, and unbridled excitement. In New Orleans, it's the holiday to end all holidays, where revelers flood the streets in colorful costumes and adorn themselves with long beads caught from the floats of previous parades. The air is alive with joy as locals and visitors alike gather to partake in this lively tradition, with families spread out on the ground throwing balls, playing music, and enjoying delicious food as they watch the parades drift by. During Mardi Gras, even non-essential businesses stand still so everyone can join in the festivities. Experienced festival-goers know to come prepared with large bags to collect the bounty of beads and trinkets tossed their way.
The roots of Mardi Gras can be traced back to medieval Europe, echoing through the corridors of Rome and Venice before finding its way to France’s Bourbon dynasty. The traditional revelry of “Boeuf Gras,” signifying the "fatted calf," travelled with French settlers to their colonies. A significant date in this timeline is March 2, 1699, when French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville dubbed a location 60 miles south of New Orleans "Pointe du Mardi Gras" upon realizing it was the eve of the holiday. Bienville’s later establishment of Fort Louis de la Louisiane (present-day Mobile) in 1702 led to the first American Mardi Gras celebration in 1703.
In 1704, Mobile introduced a secret society, Masque de la Mobile, foreshadowing the krewes prominent in today’s celebrations. Mardi Gras reached New Orleans in a more visible fashion by the 1730s, though early festivities were more refined; the majestic society balls established by the Governor in the 1740s laid the groundwork for the famous Mardi Gras balls of today.
The 19th century saw Mardi Gras evolve as street processions of masked participants took to the streets with flickering flambeaux lighting their way. The Mystick Krewe of Comus, formed in 1856, introduced a mystique with grand tableaux and masked balls, while in 1870, the Twelfth Night Revelers introduced the concept of “throws.” The mid-1800s marked the start of detailed press coverage with newspapers publishing vibrant lithographs of parade floats, fashioning Mardi Gras into the public spectacle celebrated today.
By 1872, a group of New Orleans businessmen added a regal touch by creating a King of Carnival, Rex, marking the first daytime parade. To honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, they adopted the Romanoff family colors - purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power - as the official colors of Carnival. That year, the festive anthem, “If Ever I Cease to Love,” reverberated through the streets, beloved by the Grand Duke. In a departure from the past, New Orleans began constructing floats locally in 1873, perfected by the imagination of artists like Carlotta Bonnecase and craftsmen like Georges Soulie’. The Governor of Louisiana, Henry Warmoth, further solidified the importance of this celebration in 1875 by signing the “Mardi Gras Act,” making Fat Tuesday a legal holiday in Louisiana, a status it proudly retains.
As you prepare to join the celebrations this year, picture yourself among the vibrant waves of joy that coat New Orleans in a kaleidoscope of history, tradition, and revelry. Wrap up your Fat Tuesday festivities with a special family-style dinner at Cucina Verona on March 4th and experience a taste of New Orleans' vibrant spirit through a feast that promises to delight your senses.
