Â
Mardi Gras is so much more than having beads around your neck. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. It is used to describe the festival that occurs the night before Ash Wednesday. It is a night full of sins and excitement, where people just enjoy the things they’re giving up before the 40 days of Lent begin. Â
In the seventeenth century, people would eat everything in their homes in order to get rid of them before Lent. They would eat meat, eggs and everything else that would be considered “fattening,” thus how the holiday got its name.
This idea spread to other European countries, including Spain, Germany, and England. In many countries it is also known as “Carnival,” which originates from the Latin word carnelevarium that translates to “get rid of the meat,” because the 40 days that followed Ash Wednesday were meat free days.
It is believed that the first Mardi Gras in the United States was March 3, 1699 when two French explorers named Iberville and Bienville landed in Louisiana, just south of New Orleans. The celebration took place in a small spot called Point du Mardi Gras. That night they enjoyed a small celebration that years later was emulated by other French settlers around the rest of Louisiana. As soon as the Spanish conquered the area, they abolished the celebrations. It wasn’t until Louisiana became an U.S. state in 1812 that Mardi Gras was celebrated again.
In 1827, during the day of Mardi Gras, a group of students in New Orleans celebrated this holiday by immitating what used to happen in the French colonies. In a trip to France, they experienced this holiday and when they returned home, they brought back the traditions and celebrations. The streets were full of life and color as people danced and ate throughout the night, as the celebration was when it first came to the United States. Years later, Mardi Gras became an official holiday in the state of Louisiana. Even if it is only an official holiday in Louisiana, parties celebrating Mardi Gras occur all around the country.
One of the most infamous Mardi Gras traditions is women flashing their breasts in order to get beads. The bead throwing tradition began in the 1920s when inexpensive, handmade, glass necklaces were thrown during the parades. Today, the tradition has grown past glass necklaces and now plastic necklaces and other trinkets are thrown out during the parades. The reason behind the beads when was to add color and fun to the outfits that were worn at the celebrations in previous centuries. While showing your boobs is not the only way to receive beads, it is a practice that became a staple during 1970s, and increased in popularity ever since.
Other Mardi Gras traditions include wearing colorful masks, eating king cake—a traditional cake filled with nuts and a small plastic baby (the reciever is said to have good luck for the year), torch lighting, and parade float decorating.
Mardi Gras will take place on February 17th this year, so prepare your beads and king cake (Beck’s in 30th Street sells small ones) or check out our 5 Ways to Celebrate to honor this traditional holiday.
Information taken from History.com