Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras arrived in North America with the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisianne, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

The two explorers eventually found the mouth of the Mississippi River, sailed a while upstream and named the spot Point du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") 60 miles downriver from present-day New Orleans. In 1699, the traditional Catholic celebration ensued leading to what many refer to as "North America's first Mardi Gras". Between 1700-1702, Bienville founded the settlement of Mobile (Alabama), as the first capital of French Louisiana, and in 1703, the American Mardi Gras tradition began with French annual celebrations in Mobile. Year 1704 began with the masked ball, Masque De La Mobile, and in 1711, Mobile began the first parades. By 1720, Biloxi became the 2nd capital of Louisiana. The French customs were adopted there, and Mardi Gras is still celebrated along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to this day.

In 1723, the capital of Louisiana was moved, due to fear of tides and hurricanes, to an inland harbor town founded 1718 called "Nouvelle-Orléans" (New Orleans), and the tradition, which had started 20 years earlier in Mobile, was expanded. Nearly 125 years after Mobile's first parade of 1711, a krewe from Mobile, the Cowbellion de Rakin Society (1830), began the first known parades in New Orleans (1835). Over the passing decades, following their European customs, Carnival celebrations took place in all towns and cities in the colony.

Mardi Gras Carnival celebrations became an annual event highlighted by lavish balls and masked spectacles, such as Masque de la Mobile from 1704. Some were small, private parties with select guest-lists, while others were larger, public affairs.

New Orleans Traditions

New Orleans Mardi Gras is particularly well-known, often called "the greatest free show on earth". The celebrations draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city in addition to the celebrating locals for the parties and parades. Most tourists can be found within the French Quarter, especially Bourbon Street.

Mardi Gras came to New Orleans with the earliest French settlers. New Orleans developed new traditions, including Carnival organizations called Krewes such as the Krewe du Vieux, the Zulu Social Aid Club, and the famous Rex parade, in addition to Mardi Gras Indians and king cake parties.

There are as many as 60 Krewes that have parades in the greater New Orleans area. Officially, the Mardi Gras season begins on the 12th day after Christmas. Most parades, balls and other festivities occur on weeknights and weekends in the 2-week period before Mardi Gras Day. Though each parade is different, there are certain common ingredients: 1) There is a king of each Krewe, picked from among the Krewe membership; 2) gaily colored floats, ridden by masked and costumed Krewe members, who throw various items, including beads (necklaces), metal coins called doubloons bearing the official emblem and often, that year's parade's grand marshals name, and assorted other fun items; marching bands from local high schools and universities, and often other invited guest bands.

The oldest parading krewes include those of Rex, "King of Carnival," who has reigned since 1872, and Zulu, founded in 1909, both of whom parade for a half-million or more spectators along a six mile-long route on Shrove Tuesday morning each year. Oldest of the night parades is the Krewe of Proteus, founded in 1882, and which rolls to the light of old-fashioned flambeaux on Lundi Gras (Fat Monday), which is the Monday night before Mardi Gras. New Orleans' parades include anywhere from 14 to 30 or more floats. "Truck parades" of huge, decorated trucks often have more than 100 entries. Other parades are held by "walking clubs," consisting of maskers promenading to the blare of the city's famous jazz bands.

Particularly since the inception of the larger parade organizations (sometimes called "super krewes") such as Bacchus, Endymion and Orpheus, it has become fashionable to invite Hollywood and other celebrities to act as Grand Marshals for parades.

As many as 100,000 Mardi Gras revelers are estimated to throng Bourbon Street in New Orleans' historic French Quarter each Fat Tuesday to view often outrageous costume contests and celebrate until the stroke of midnight, which signals the end of Carnival and the beginning of the penitential season of Lent.

In addition to parades and other public observances, New Orleans is the scene of exclusive and elaborate masked, tableau balls held by most of the parading krewes and other organizations which limit their activities only to balls. Usually invitation-only affairs, many of the balls feature the presentation of the city's debutantes.

Mask and Float Photos (Click on thumbnail images to see full size.)