So many people debate the fact of where and how Mardi Gras started in US. At its most basic, Mardi Gras , is a pre-Lenten festival celebrated in Roman Catholic countries and communities. Traditionally, Mardi Grove, …show more content…
Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday has been celebrated by the French as the last of the three days of Shrovetide and is a time of preparation before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. As the last few days before Lent, the celebration afforded the last opportunity for merrymaking and indulgence in food and drink. Which a lot of people has begun to enjoy over the years.
Mardi Gras is believed to have come to New Orleans in 1699, by the arrival of French Canadian Pierre D’Iberville. New Orleans begins their season on January 6, which comes twelve days after Christmas. The city introduced the official Mardi Gras flag and colors, which are green, gold and purple standing for faith, power, and justice. The phenomenon display of parades countdown to Fat Tuesday which is the day before Ash Wednesday that starts Lent. Here there are about sixty parades that will stir an inimitable mix of royal ritual, teasing bead and giveaways, mask fantasy and joyful excitements. By, New Orleans being a was mix culture an unique local Mardi Gras organization known as Krewes was started by these various strong cultures. Today, three super krewes Endymion, Bacchus and Orpheus have brought order and greater fabrication to the three major nights of Mardi Gras (Saturday, Sunday and Monday respectively). Other major parades are put on by the Hermes parade on Carnival Friday night and Rex, Zulu and Elks along St. Charles Avenue on the spectacular Mardi Gras Tuesday when all cares must be forgotten.
Many people join Mardi Gras in the US with the City of New Orleans, LA, which it does have the largest Mardi Gras.
But, Mobile, AL feel that the first Mardi Gras parade was hosted in their city in 1703, long before New Orleans actually organized the celebration. Mardi Gras was first celebrated when Mobile was a French colony, a century before Alabama was founded. Mobilians do believe that several people help influence Mardi Gras like Pierre D’Iberville, Knights of Revelry Float, and Joe Cain. Pierre D’Iberville Mardi Gras is a Catholic festival beginning 40 days before Easter. The name Mardi Gras is French meaning Fat Tuesday, which is the last day of feast before Lent starts. Both cities to agree that D’Iberville documented the first Mardi Gras in 1699. The Knights of Revelry Float is an important part of Mobile’s celebration but was not apart of the traditional Mardi Gras. This float didn’t start until the New Year’s Eve in 1831 by an cotton broker. Now the Civil War stopped a lot of celebration including Mardi Gras when Union troop took control of the city in April of 1865. Mardi Gras unexpectedly started back up the following year when Joseph Stillwell Cain formed the Tea Drinkers Mystic Society, which lead the parade through the city dressed as fictional Indian Chiefs. During the reconstruction of the city Mardi Gras became a premier event in
Mobile.
However, while the holiday is supposed to be confined to those three days only, in modern practice Mardi Gras is generally celebrated for a full week before Lent and marked by spectacular parades featuring floats, pageants, elaborate costumes, masked balls, and dancing in the streets. During Mardi Gras people line the streets of New Orleans ,Mobile and other cities to beg for plastic doubloons and cheap beaded necklaces that for a few days are as precious as gold. It is a time when people can do things that they would never otherwise even want to do, and do them with people with whom they would not otherwise even think of associating themselves. And in someone ways will be a mystery to a lot of us that enjoy.