Mardi Gras

From ArticleWorld

“’Mardis Gras”’ is the final day before Ash Wednesday and the last day of Carnival. The name Mardis Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. Carnival is the celebration that is held right before the Christian season of Lent. It is celebrated throughout the world including notable festivities in Rio de Janeiro, Venice, Cologne, and New Orleans. Though Mardis Gras is not a nationally recognized holiday, it is celebrated throughout the United States.

New Orleans

The celebration of Carnival and Mardis Gras began in New Orleans when the French settlement began. Often called “the greatest show on earth”, the festivities in New Orleans draw many tourists from all over the world. Many balls, parades and other festivities are attended from the 12th day of Christmas until its culmination on Mardis Gras or Fat Tuesday. Unlike the rest of the United States, Mardis Gras is a legal holiday in Louisiana.

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama has the unique distinction of being the first city in the United States to hold a Mardis Gras celebration. The festivities date back to 1703 and Mobile now holds the second largest Mardis Gras celebration in the country, second only to New Orleans. During the American Civil War, the celebration of Carnival, and subsequently Mardis Gras, was temporarily halted but in 1866, Joe Cain revived the celebration. He is honored every year during the Mobile festivities. In addition, the celebrations always end with the Order of Myths parade. They are the oldest continuously parading society in the United States.

Elsewhere

Mardis Gras is celebrated throughout the United States. Some notable locations include Pensacola, Florida, Galveston, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, and San Diego, California. In Newfoundland, Mardis Gras is celebrated the week before Halloween in the capital city of St. John’s. In Australia, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras celebrated.