While New Orleans in the United States is almost synonymous with the term, it’s possible to talk about Mardi Gras without mentioning the city at all. The regular festival takes place worldwide on the day before Lent, combining music and color with a month of parades. Where exactly did this enigmatic occasion come from though?
The “Big Easy”
Founded by the French in 1718 and eventually sold to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, New Orleans occupies a pivotal position in the history of the New World. The city has long been a confluence of different peoples and traditions, and can even claim to be the source of many new entertainments brought over from Europe or born right on the Mississippi.

In addition to its famous jazz and brass music, the “Big Easy” was also the American location of the first roulette wheel. This now-globally popular casino game was brought over from France after its creation in the 18th century. NetBet, a provider of modern roulette games, claims it sat for almost a century in New Orleans before making its way to Las Vegas. It also had an extra slot - American Eagle - back then.
The first New Orleans Mardis Gras took place on almost the day of the city’s founding. Sieur de Bienville and Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, two French explorers, celebrated their arrival on the American coast with a feast on March 1, 1699. The site of these festivities would eventually become known as Point du Mardi Gras. However, the Mardi Gras wouldn't take the form we know today until three decades later.
A More Colorful Version
Given New Orleans’ association with France, it should come as no surprise that the modern idea for Mardi Gras came from Paris. It’s possible to date the inception of the ‘American’ Mardis Gras to 1837, although, the beginnings of a more colorful version can be found a few years earlier, after a group of travelers tried to imitate a similar festival they’d experienced in Europe.

Central to the Mardi Gras is the series of ‘krewes’, small societies that operate as fictional royalty. These clubs are responsible for creating the festivities along the parade routes. Similar to the Mardi Gras itself, these were a gradual invention, appearing around 1857. Krewes are often named after historical and mythological figures, such as Nefertiti and Poseidon, but a Krewe of Chewbacchus will run in 2023.
Oddly enough, despite its association with Lent, Mardi Gras is probably a pagan festival related to either Saturnalia, or the Feast of Saturn, and Lupercalia, which has some links to St. Valentine's Day. Both of these festivals’ connection to Mardi Gras has been disputed by modern scholars though. In any case, Mardis Gras has likely existed in some form or another for more than a thousand years.
In 2023, the New Orleans Mardi Gras takes place from January 6 to February 26, cumulating with parades from the furry-sounding Krewe du Pooch and Krewe of Mardi PAWS.
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