Mardi Gras celebrations offer one of the greatest celebrations around – think “confetti in my hair, cocktail in my hand” and “We don’t hide crazy; we parade it down the street”. No other holiday comes close.
Mardi Gras is one of the most anticipated events every year and many associate it as a traditional Winter festival with parades, costumes, whimsical floats, dancing, drinking, food and revelry at its peak. There is also lots and lots of beads!
Mardi Gras is celebrated around the globe, and its history and celebrations can be found within its rich, extensive timeline. Here are a few lesser-known facts about it!
Initial questions: “What is Mardi Gras?”
Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday with origins dating back to medieval Europe.
Mardi Gras, also known in French as “Fat Tuesday,” marks an official celebration of Lent on Ash Wednesday the following day.
Mardi Gras is an opportunity for one last indulgence before beginning Lent – 40 days leading up to Easter, set aside as an occasion for reflection, penitence and fasting practices.
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) gave church goers one final celebratory feast before Lent began and to dispose of any rich foods that had been forbidden during Lent, including meat, eggs, butter, milk lard, and cheese that would otherwise go uneaten in their pantry.
Mardi Gras Is Celebrated for Multiple Weeks Mardi Gras is celebrated over several weeks. These festivities are known as carnival, which comes from Latin “carne vale,” meaning goodbye to meat.
Modern fasting rules of churches may have relaxed considerably since Mardi Gras’s celebration began; today they simply require abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent. Yet its spirit lives on as Mardi Gras is celebrated around the globe today!
Many cities around the world hold various events, parades and balls during carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras.
Carnival Season Begins on the 12th Day of Christmas Although sometimes thought to have begun earlier, January 5 (or 6 depending on where you reside) marks the official launch of carnival season festivities leading up to Mardi Gras.
Epiphany commemorates the day when three Magi visited baby Jesus at his Bethlehem birthplace and witnessed His baptism by John the Baptist – as well as God manifesting through Him!
Mardi Gras’ Customs Are Bound by Pagan Traditions That Date Back Centuries
Many Mardi Gras traditions can be traced back to pagan spring and fertility festivals from millennia ago, such as Saturnalia (in honor of Saturn the god of wealth, agriculture, and abundance) and Lupercalia (a day to promote fertility) which dates back as far as 3rd Century BCE.
Tradition of Wearing Masks and Costumes dates back to 13th Century Venice
Mardi Gras has long been seen as an excuse to let loose and enjoy life to the fullest extent possible, with centuries ago being one of the only times when both upper and lower classes could interact freely with each other socially – though that didn’t mean everyone knew exactly what mischief you were getting up to or with whom.
So in Venice during the 13th century revelers began wearing masks and costumes to protect their identities during sometimes salacious festivities. Mask making even became an art form by 15th century; an artform which Venice continues to be famous for today.
Adopting and wearing elaborate decorative masks has become a tradition at Mardi Gras celebrations worldwide.
New Orleans Wasn’t the First U.S. City to Celebrate Mardi Gras Mobile, Alabama hosted its inaugural Mardi Gras celebration in 1703 by original French settlers who established themselves there.
Mobile is home to one of the nation’s premier and family-friendly Mardi Gras celebrations with parties, balls and parades taking place simultaneously throughout March.
Visit the Mobile Carnival Museum to gain all of the facts on where Mardi Gras began in America.
Mardi Gras Doesn’t Always Fall on the Same Date
Mardi Gras usually falls 47 days before Easter; however, as its date varies each year so does Mardi Gras’ date.
Easter Day marks the first Sunday following the first full moon following the first day of spring (20 March).