Mardi Gras History

Posted on

Mardi Gras History

Mardi Gras History

Mardi Gras, a spectacle of vibrant colors, elaborate costumes, and unbridled revelry, is more than just a single day of celebration. Also known as Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, it encompasses the Carnival season, a period of festivities that commences on or after the Christian feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) on January 6th and reaches its zenith on the day preceding Ash Wednesday. The term "Mardi Gras" itself, French for "Fat Tuesday," alludes to the historical practice of indulging in rich, fatty foods on the last night before the commencement of Lent, the 40-day period of penance leading up to Easter Sunday. This tradition marks a transition from indulgence to abstinence, a final farewell to earthly pleasures before a period of spiritual reflection and self-denial.

The roots of this exuberant celebration delve deep into the annals of history, tracing back thousands of years to pagan rituals that celebrated the arrival of spring and the concept of fertility. These ancient observances, deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of various societies, eventually found their way into the Christian faith. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, religious leaders recognized the popularity of these local traditions and strategically incorporated them into the new religion, thereby facilitating its acceptance and integration within the existing cultural landscape. From Rome, the tradition of Mardi Gras spread alongside Christianity to Venice, Italy, and then to France, eventually permeating all of Europe. As European powers embarked on voyages of exploration and colonization, their traditions, including Mardi Gras, were carried across the oceans to new continents.

The narrative of the original article shifts to a personal anecdote, recounting a visit to Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu. This city proudly claims the distinction of hosting the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.

Historically, the period leading up to Lent was characterized by dietary restrictions. Parishioners were often required to fast or abstain from certain types of food, most notably red meat. The severity of these restrictions varied, ranging from the complete elimination of all animal products to the allowance of only bread, or even limiting consumption to a single meal per day. In anticipation of these restrictions, it became customary to indulge in the soon-to-be-forbidden foods during the days leading up to Lent, hence the moniker "Fat Tuesday." The word "carnival" itself may be etymologically linked to these pre-Lenten festivities. In Medieval Latin, "carnelevarium" signifies the act of taking away or removing meat, further reinforcing the association between the celebration and the farewell to culinary indulgences.

Beyond the culinary aspect, general excess and debauchery became integral components of the Mardi Gras season. Over time, popular practices associated with the celebration evolved to include the wearing of masks and costumes, the temporary overturning of social conventions, dancing, athletic competitions, and elaborate parades. These activities provided a temporary escape from the constraints of daily life, allowing individuals to embrace a spirit of freedom and revelry.

While fasting during Lent was once a prominent practice, its prevalence has diminished in modern times. Today, many individuals choose to forgo something for Lent, but it is not necessarily related to food. This shift reflects a broader trend toward personal choice and individual interpretation of religious traditions.

In the United States, the history of Mardi Gras begins with the French. King Louis XIV dispatched Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville to secure France’s claim over the Louisiana territory (encompassing present-day Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and a portion of eastern Texas) in the late 17th century. This act of territorial assertion laid the foundation for the introduction of French customs and traditions, including the vibrant celebration of Mardi Gras, into the North American continent.

On March 2, 1699, the expedition navigated into the mouth of the Mississippi River and proceeded upstream to a location on the east bank, situated approximately 60 miles downriver from the site of present-day New Orleans. The following day, which happened to be Mardi Gras, was commemorated by naming the location Point du Mardi Gras. The group subsequently established Fort Louis de la Louisiana (Fort Conde) in 1702. The settlement that emerged around it, Fort Louis de la Mobile (Mobile, Alabama), became the first capital of French Louisiana. In 1703, the settlers organized the first structured Mardi Gras celebration tradition in what would eventually become the United States. In 1711, French settlers in Mobile established the first informal mystic society, or krewe, known as the Boeuf Gras Society. This society organized song, food, and dance for the festivities, as well as a papier-mâché bull that was paraded down Dauphin Street, marking what is believed to be the first carnival "parade" in North America.

By 1720, Biloxi had assumed the role of capital of Louisiana, and the French Mardi Gras customs followed.

Bienville founded New Orleans in 1718, and the capital of the Louisiana Territory was relocated there in 1723. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was openly celebrated in New Orleans. In the early 1740s, Louisiana’s governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which served as the blueprint for today’s New Orleans Mardi Gras balls. The earliest documented reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" dates back to 1781. That same year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association was established, marking the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations that would subsequently form in New Orleans. Soon after, Mardi Gras became inextricably linked to the city in popular perception, solidifying its status as the epicenter of the celebration in the United States.

By the late 1830s, New Orleans was hosting street processions of maskers, accompanied by carriages and horseback riders, illuminated by dazzling gaslight torches, known as "flambeaux." In 1837, the first recorded New Orleans Mardi Gras parade took place, a tradition that continues to this day. In 1856, the first krewe, the Mistick Krewe of Comus, was established in New Orleans, bringing an element of magic and mystery to the celebration with elaborate floats and masked balls. A krewe is an organization responsible for staging a parade or ball during the Carnival season. In 1870, Mardi Gras’ second Krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers, was formed.

In 1872, a group of businessmen conceived the idea of a King of Carnival, Rex, to preside over the first daytime parade and adopted the colors of purple, green, and gold as the Carnival’s official colors. Purple symbolizes justice, gold represents power, and green embodies faith. In 1875, Louisiana’s governor declared Fat Tuesday a legal holiday in Louisiana. To this day, Louisiana remains the only state where Mardi Gras is an official holiday.

In the subsequent decades, New Orleans and other French settlements continued to celebrate the holiday with street parties, masked balls, and lavish dinners. Other enduring customs include the throwing of beads and other trinkets, the wearing of masks, the decoration of floats, and the consumption of King Cake.

The duration of the festival season varies from city to city. Some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to encompass the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas, marking the beginning of Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday. Others regard the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as Mardi Gras. Carnival is also an important celebration in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where the week before Ash Wednesday is known as "Shrovetide," culminating on Shrove Tuesday.

Across the globe, Venice, Italy; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Quebec City, Canada; and New Orleans, Louisiana, host some of the most renowned public festivities, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage also celebrate the Carnival season, including Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas; Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana. Other US cities celebrating Mardi Gras include Natchez, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; St. Louis, Missouri; San Diego, California; and La Crosse, Wisconsin. Each city boasts its own unique events and traditions. Lake Charles, Louisiana, is widely recognized for hosting the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.