This week we saw the show about Mardi Gras and was so interesting to me. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans since the late eighteenth century. Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 when the French explorer Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico. He traveled up the mouth of the Mississippi River where he set up a camp on the west bank of the river. This site was located sixty miles south of where New Orleans is today. On this day Mardi gras was being celebrated in France. In honor of this important day. While under French rule, masked balls and festivals were common in New Orleans. A few years later Spanish rule took over New Orleans, banning the balls and festivals. In 1827 street masking was legalized, and this began the tradition of Mardi Gras as we know it today.
Mardi Gras is celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, also known as Fat Tuesday.
Mardi Gras have been a cultural tradition in south Louisiana for many years. People come from all parts of the world to celebrate in this festivity each year. This carnival is the biggest and best party of all in the bayou state. Mardi Gras is an experience one will never forget. That is why it is known as the greatest free show on earth. Take a trip on over to Cajun country during this cultural holiday and laissez les bon temps rouler, which means let the good times roll!
