The History of Mardi Gras

It’s that time of year again where people are gearing up for one of the most highly anticipated holidays, Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is a time where people let loose and party down Bourbon and the French Quarter and enjoy the many different parades during the celebration.
Also known as ‘Fat Tuesday’, Mardi Gras has its roots as a pagan tradition and dates back to spring celebrations and the ancient Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Lupercalia. The holiday typically starts twelve days after Christmas and runs up until the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent where people fast and give up certain habits for 40 days leading up to Easter. Because of this, Mardi Gras serves as the prelude to Lent, where people indulge in merriment, food, and sometimes alcohol. This year, the holiday falls on March 5.
Although Mardi Gras is mainly associated with being in New Orleans, it originated in Mobile, Alabama. Their first Mardi Gras celebration was in 1703 when the French settled at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, the first settlement of Mobile. They held a celebration and continued with traditions from their homeland of France.
The first recorded parade was in 1711 and it included a bull-head that was rolled on wheels down Dauphin street by 16 men. Parades really were not a major part of Mardi Gras until the 1830s, when a man named Michael Krafft and his friends raided a hardware store and paraded through downtown Mobile with rakes, cowbells, and other farming tools. They called themselves the Cowbellion de Rakin Society, which is believed to be the first parading mystic society. Later on, several members moved to New Orleans and continued their traditions.
While New Orleans and Mobile typically share some of the same Mardi Gras traditions, one tradition that distinguishes Mobile from New Orleans is the throwing of Moon Pies during parades. In the 1950s, Cracker Jacks were originally a staple favor, or ‘throw’, thrown into crowds but float organizers wanted to find something that was lighter and less harmful to people. Eventually they were banned because of the sharp corners of the boxes. They then turned to Moon Pies, which were soft but still had some weight to them.
Other traditions associated with Mardi Gras have a history of their own. The traditional dessert king cake is said to date all the way back to Medieval times as different cultures celebrated the twelfth day of Christmas with sweets and gifts. During this time, kings would visit newborn baby Jesus and bring sweets and gifts of their own. These cakes are fried and frosted in the traditional Mardi Gras colors. With each cake a tiny plastic baby is baked inside of it. Whoever finds the baby in their piece of cake will be rewarded with ‘good luck’. That person is responsible for bringing the king cake to the next party, or throwing the next king cake party.
Mardi Gras has been cancelled only a handful of times, both cities continue to attract large audiences for those looking to enjoy the plethora of parades, balls, and other festivities to celebrate the unique holiday.