What is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras is a Roman Catholic  holiday that is celebrated on the Tuesday before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.  Parts of the holiday, as most Roman Catholic holidays do, dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites.  Mardi Gras is also known as Carnival and is celebrated in many countries with large Roman Catholic populations around the world such as Brazil, Venice, and New Orleans. 

The date of Mardi Gras changes every year because the date Lent and Easter changes every year.  But Mardi Gras is always somewhere between April 9th and March 3rd.  Because Lent is such a serious time for Catholics, typically including fasting and penance, Mardi Gras is a way to have that last party before Lent begins.

Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday in French.  That's because Mardi Gras is always on Tuesday and that is the day people tend to enjoy themselves before the beginning of Lent.

The first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near present day New Orleans, Louisiana.  There they held a small celebration.  Many years later, other French settlements began arking the holiday with street parties, masked balls, and fancy dinners.  In 1827, a group of students wore colorful costumes and danced through the streets of New Orleans.  And in 1857, the very first recorded New Orleans Mardi Gras parade took place, a tradition that still lasts to this day.

Want to celebrate Mardi Gras?  Wear colorful clothing and eat good food!  Be sure to wish Mrs. Espeseth a happy Mardi Gras, it is one of her favorite holidays!