Mardi Gras 2012: What To Know About Carnival History and Traditions

2. How Did Mardis Gras Begin?

Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival season, came to the U.S. from France, where it had been a tradition since the Middle Ages. Meant to coincide with the Lent, the carnival begins on or just after the Christian feast day of Epiphany and culminates the day before Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras's roots, however, may predate those traditions. Many see the carnival as a descendant of ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring. One such holiday was Lupercalia, a Roman festival devoted to excess.

3. How Did Mardi Gras Become A New Orleans Staple?

According to most sources, Mardi Gras arrived in New Orleans by way of French explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville.

Iberville launched an expedition along the Mississippi River back in 1699. He set up camp on the West Bank of the river, about sixty miles south of the present day Louisiana city on March 3, the same day Mardi Gras celebrations happened to fall in France. To honor his native country, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras, and celebrations have been held there ever since.

Some sources, however, claim that Mardi Gras actually began in New Orleans over a century later, in 1827. According to this story, a group of students who had recently returned from France decided to bring some Parisian revelry to the city, donning strange costumes and dancing through the streets. The local inhabitants were so enamored of the tradition that they claimed it for their own.

Regardless of when it began, however, the New Orleans Carnival season was well established by the mid-1800s, and has been a Louisiana staple ever since.

4. How Is Mardi Gras Celebrated Around The World?