'The unique culture': What to know about Mardi Gras and the celebration in New Orleans

USA Today

03-03-2025

Mardi Gras comes to a close on Tuesday night, and soon, those who celebrate will exclaim 'Laissez les bons temps rouler,' or 'Let the good times roll' for the last time this Carnival season.
It's a phrase often said during Mardi Gras celebrations as revelers enjoy the vibrant colors and the laughter of loved ones surrounding them, said Adrienne Webber, dean of the Digital Library and Learning Commons at Grambling State University in Louisiana.
Webber, a New Orleans native, said Mardi Gras isn't just a party but a cultural celebration in Louisiana. Mardi Gras allows people to celebrate before the Lenten season, where people become more disciplined and give up habits for 40 days.
'It's a pre-Lent party to go into something that is very sacred to many people,' she told USA TODAY. 'It's a time to rejoice. It's a time to express yourself.'
Here's the rundown on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, and how it came to be.
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How did Mardi Gras begin?
Many people mistakenly believe that Mardi Gras is just one day, said Christy Garrison-Harrison, an assistant professor of history and women, gender, and sexuality studies at Southern University and A&M College.
But Mardi Gras is an entire season, often called Carnival. It begins 12 days after Christmas on Jan. 6 and lasts until Fat Tuesday, or the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Mardi Gras began in medieval Europe, starting in Rome and making its way to France, she told USA TODAY. The tradition then made its way through the colonies, and around 1699, French Canadians arrived in what is now Mobile, Alabama, Garrison-Harrison said.
Back then, people celebrated 'Boeuf Gras,' meaning 'fatted calf.' It's a time for people to enjoy things such as fatty foods, sugar, alcohol and other items considered 'decadent.' They'd give themselves until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, or what is often called Fat Tuesday, to indulge.
'In the early colony days, an actual calf or an animal would be rolled down the street or paraded in the community to signify, 'This is what we're giving up. We're going to sacrifice this calf or this bull or this animal, and we're going to feast,'' she said.
This period was also known as a time of 'extreme fasting,' said Sarah McDonald, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
'People were encouraged to use up butter, oil, and meat products to not have them on hand because they could not be eaten during Lent – hence Fat Tuesday got its name,' she told USA TODAY.
Records show that around the 1730s, some wealthy families held balls for Mardi Gras. According to Garrison-Harrison, the celebrations were being documented in newspapers by the 1780s.
Krewes, parades, and souvenirs
Mardi Gras celebrations feature parades that kick off as early as January, while the largest parades happen on Fat Tuesday, according to Webber from Grambling State.
Webber said that groups, called krewes, organize parades and distribute beads featuring characters such as kings and witch doctors. Krewes also host masquerade balls, which include kings and queens.
Krewes also hand out signature items specific to their group, such as themed coconuts that are brightly decorated with glitter and paint, chalices, and shoes, said Webber.
'Everybody wants to get a coconut,' she said. 'It is very much so one of the most sought-after Mardi Gras souvenirs.'
Which food is considered unique to Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras is not complete without a sugary, sweet and colorful king cake. Originally part of a Christian tradition, king cakes celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem, also known as Epiphany.
Over time, the king cake has taken many forms. The classic French version, the galette des rois, is a puff pastry cake usually filled with frangipane—a sweet cream made from almonds, butter, sugar, and eggs. Today, the modern New Orleans-style king cakes are shaped like rings and covered in purple, yellow and green sugar. In both versions, small charms, usually plastic baby figurines that represent Jesus, are hidden somewhere in the cake, and the person who finds the charm will have good luck and the task of bringing a king cake to the next party.
Contributors: Rachel Taylor
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [e-mail].