Home > History Fact Finder > Holidays and Observances - How Long Has Mardi Gras Been Celebrated In New Orleans?

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page
4. Tweet This

How long has Mardi Gras been celebrated in New Orleans?

Mardi Gras (which means "fat Tuesday" in French) takes place on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. (Lent is the period of forty days before Easter during which Roman Catholics fast and pray.) Celebrated as a "last fling" before the somber days of Lent, Mardi Gras features feasting and processions of masked figures. The holiday officially began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1857, yet such celebrations, often called carnival, date from the 1300s.

Further Information: Dues, Greg. Catholic Customs and Traditions: A Popular Guide. Mystic, Conn.: Twenty-Third Publications, 1989, p. 88; Santino, Jack. All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1994, pp. 88–96; What is Mardi Gras? [Online] Available

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. Winter
   1. What event does Hanukkah commemorate?
   2. Was Jesus really born on December 25?
   3. Was there really a Saint Nick?
   4. How old is Kwanza?
   5. How long have people been celebrating the New Year?
   6. Why is the Chinese New Year not celebrated on January 1?
   7. When did Groundhog Day begin?
   8. What is Twelfth Night?
   9. Which presidents does Presidents' Day commemorate?
   10. Was there really a Saint Valentine?
   11. What does the Jewish holiday of Purim commemorate?
2. Spring
   1. What is Ramadan?
   2. Who was Saint Patrick?
   3. Does Passover commemorate a real event?
   4. How long has Mardi Gras been celebrated in New Orleans?
   5. Why is Ash Wednesday so solemn?
   6. Why is Easter celebrated when it is?
   7. How old is April Fools' Day?
   8. What is Children's Day?
3. Summer
   1. What is May Day?
   2. Why is Cinco de Mayo celebrated?
   3. What is the history of Mothers' Day in the United States?
   4. When was the first Memorial Day?
   5. How old is Fathers' Day?
   6. When did Americans first celebrate Independence Day?
   7. What is a moveable holiday?
   8. What is Bastille Day?
4. Fall
   1. What does Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur commemorate?
   2. When is election day held in the United States?
   3. Do all countries celebrate Thanksgiving?