Just the name Mardi Gras conjures up images of drunken, bead-wearing revelers dancing through the streets of New Orleans. But how, and when, did this huge mid-winter party get started? Here's a look at the history of Mardi Gras throughout the ages and across the nations.
Historians tell us that the ancient Romans probably kicked off the Mardi Gras celebrations. Their mid-February festival known as Lupercalia honored the god Lupercus, alternately known as the god of fertility and the god of agriculture and pastoral shepherds. In either case, his party definitely had Mardi Gras-like qualities, including days of feasting and drinking. And a little enjoying the "pleasures of the flesh", probably, too -- in fact, the term Carnival, often synonymous with Mardi Gras, is derived from the Latin expression meaning "farewell to the flesh."
Like most of the ancient Roman and Greek festivals, Lupercalia was adopted and adapted by the Church as a way of subtly converting the local pagans to Christianity. The carnival-like celebration of Lupercalia thus morphed into a last "fling" before the beginning of the Lenten period. Lent refers to the 40 days of pertinence and purification celebrated between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. During Lent, the religiously faithful refrain from a number of indulgences of the "flesh", including eating meat.
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What began as a Roman-based celebration quickly spread across the European continent. By medieval times, lords were hosting carnivals prior to Lent in honor of the conscription of their new knights. Each region and country celebrated their own traditions, but all were indulgent. In England, for example, pancake feasts were served -- a tradition that lasts until today. Shrove Tuesday, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, is widely known in the UK as "Pancake Tuesday" and is celebrated with pancake-eating competition and pancake races.
In France, this period of revelry before Lent was especially raucous. In fact, the term Mardi Gras is a French expression meaning "Fat Tuesday" -- likely referring to the indulgent nature of the pre-Lenten celebration. The name may have been more than just allegorical, however. Ancient pagans often marked their fertility ritual by parading a fattened ox through the town before sacrificing it.
It was also the French who brought the celebration to America. Many historians believe the party crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1699, on the ship of a French explorer named Sieur d'Iberville. The Frenchman landed in what is today Louisiana, just south of New Orleans, the heart of America's modern-day Mardi Gras celebrations. In fact, his landing is believed to have coincided with the French celebration of Mardi Gras, explaining his choice of name for his point of entry: Point du Mardi Gras.
Other historians, however, dispute the d'Iberville connection, contending that it was the early French settlers to Louisiana who introduced Mardi Gras to America. Regardless of the precise origin, Mardi Gras can clearly be attributed to a Franco-influence. By the mid 1820s, Mardi Gras was firmly rooted in the New Orleans culture. Today, the city's celebrations are considered one of America's biggest parties, with towns and cities throughout the Gulf Coast Region getting in on the fun.
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Comments
Hanna from New York, US
16:19 11/06/2009
I like panic at the disco's like version of the whole mardi gras scene like in i write sins not tragedies and but its better if you do.
amber from Louisiana, US
12:14 11/04/2009
it is the begining of lent
Sophie from Texas, US
14:27 11/03/2009
Mardi Gras is perdy
Gregory Dantzler from Alabama, US
21:43 10/26/2009
the original Mardi Gras yearly celebration, started in Mobile, Alabama I see Mobile was left out in most of New Orleans websites
look up Mardi Gras History of Mobile, Alabama and you will learn the whole history and they dont leave New Orleans out, they tell the whole History
Seven from Antarctica
13:44 10/16/2009
thanks for the great information. It's been a big help for my World Studys class.
John from Alabama, US
16:49 09/22/2009
Nice site but does indeed need some more content.
John
Mardi Gras Beads
savion finney from Georgia, US
13:18 09/22/2009
could you put more history on yjeir because i am doing a project on my family tradition and they are from louisiana.
kelly from South Carolina, US
22:33 09/21/2009
i wonder if you could put more england holiday's i am doing that for a report and can't find anything on it
Keeley from Louisiana, US
17:36 09/18/2009
I'm from Shreveport and it's nice to see some history on this holiday on the internet. I'm tired of people thinking it's just a big, drunken party in the streets of New Orleans.
Noelle from Louisiana, US
12:22 07/09/2009
Well coming from the Romains is true I have researched that much about it. It was first started as a christian holiday. It was decided by the Christian Fathers it would be better to incorporate certain aspects of pagan rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether.
It did come to America in 1699 with the French Explorer IBerville. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages. Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, from where he launched an expedition upon Mississippi River. On March 3 orf 1699, Iberville had set up a camp on the west bank of the river about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is today. This day was the day Mardi Gras was being celebrated in France. In honor of this important day, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras
