Mardi Gras Research Paper

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Mardi Gras During Mardi Gras people enjoy history, traditions, costumes, and fun. How and when did New Orleans become a popular Mardi Gras destination? Mardi Gras came to North America from Paris. There was a French explorer by the name of Iberville. Iberville along with his men explored the Mississippi River. Sixty miles south of New Orleans, on the river's west bank they set up camp. In French Mardi Gras mean “Fat Tuesday.” What was once a Christian holiday in ancient Rome is now a legal holiday in Louisiana. Mardi Gras was first celebrated on March 3, 1699. It is a kick off to lent and a welcome to spring. When Iberville got to New Orleans, he and his men had a small get together in 1812. In 1827 students wore costumes and danced around the streets. Twenty years later the very first Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans. Today, people are more outgoing at Mardi Gras than they were when it first started in 1699. People go …show more content…

Mardi Gras offers a variety of foods and desserts. There is a famous treat during Mardi Gras. This treat is called a king cake. It is a cake that is in the shape of a crown. The cake is decorated with the colors of Mardi Gras. Inside each cake’ is a plastic doll. If a person finds the doll in their piece if cake then they must buy the next king cake for the group.
There are not just human parades. Diana Hollingsworth Gessler, the author of Very New Orleans: A celebration of History, Culture, and Cajun Country Charm, says “...dogs get dressed up for the “Barkus Parade” (Gessler 9). The owners of these dogs will dress them up and walk them through the streets of New Orleans. The owners can get dressed up with their dogs too. In conclusion New Orleans is where Mardi Gras is celebrated the most. Mardi Gras has a lot of history. There are more reasons to Mardi Gras than just being a big party. The traditions have more meaning than just being fun. All the meanings of Mardi Gras are interesting to learn