Visiting New Orleans? What You Need to Know About Mardi Gras
New Orleans, Louisiana is known around the world for its vibrant jazz music scene, spicy Cajun cooking, unique French architecture and nightlife.
New Orleans, also known as the “Big Easy,” brings in many visitors each year to take part in its festive traditions and festivals. The most notable festival New Orleans is known for is Mardi Gras.
When many think about Mardi Gras, colorful music, masks and plastic bead necklaces come to mind as people flock to the street to take part in the giant party. While many people know what Mardi Gras is or have just had a small level of exposure to this New Orleans tradition, many do not know where this event stems from or the rich and interesting history behind it. While the history and background of Mardi Gras is long and detailed, here is a quick guide on what you need to know about the story behind Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras, literally translated as “Fat Tuesday” in French, is traditionally celebrated as the day before the Roman Catholic season of Lent sets in for 40 days. However, now Mardi Gras is celebrated more as a season leading up to Lent. According to History.com, “...Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of spring and fertility, including the raucous Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate these popular local traditions into the new faith, an easier task than abolishing them altogether.”
With roots in the pagan as well as Roman Catholic religions, “Fat Tuesday” was the day before Ash Wednesday, the kickoff of Lent. Tradition goes that people ate up all of the milk, meat, eggs and cheese in the house before committing to a fast during Lent for 40 days prior to Easter. While many believe the first celebrated Mardi Gras happened in 1699 when French explorers landed in Louisiana, the first known and recorded Mardi Gras parade in the United States happened in 1837.
Whether you go during Mardi Gras season or go during a time when Mardi Gras is still months away, you can celebrate and learn about the traditions and celebrations of Mardi Gras every day of the year. Mardi Gras World is a museum dedicated to telling the story of the celebration and allowing visitors to take part it in. During the tour, visitors have an opportunity to get an inside look at Blaine Kern Studios, a studio that is responsible for creating floats for the Mardi Gras parade since 1947. The museum also includes Mardi Gras costumes, a history and overview, video and even a piece of free King Cake, a brioche cake that is braided with the Mardi Gras colors in frosting or in a glaze over top (purple, green and gold).
Tours are 90 minutes long, and the museum is open seven days a week from 9:00 am with the last tour of the day at 4:00 pm. Price for admissions vary by age. Pricing and hours are subject to change. For more information on purchasing tickets to the museum and learning more about New Orleans’ famous Mardi Gras, click here.
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