Costumes, parades, beads, pastries and a lucky baby are all staples of Mardi Gras tradition. The question is, how did these traditions come about, and most importantly, why? The roots of Mardi Gras can be traced all the way back to medieval Europe, the French House of the Bourbons and French colonies. In America, 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville marked the “Pointe du Mardi Gras” on March 2, 1699, the day before the holiday. Bienville also established “Fort Louis de la Louisiane” in 1702 and established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile) in 1704. This secret society was short-lived and was replaced by the “Boeuf Gras Society” which paraded from 1711 to 1861.

When New Orleans was officially established in 1718, Mardi Gras celebrations became increasingly popular year after year until they were celebrated openly in the 1730s. By the late 1830s, the first New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, as we know it today, was held. Glittering processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders took to the streets, and gas-lit torches lit the way for Krewe members. 

Modern-day Krewes can be simply defined as “a private social organization that organizes and participates in parades and balls during Mardi Gras.” Each Krewe has unique ways of celebrating. In addition to the traditional purple, gold and green, each Krewe features its own traditions, themes and colors. Purple stands for justice; gold for power; and green for faith. These colors are incorporated into all Mardi Gras celebrations and have been cemented in the history of the holiday since 1872.

In 1857, a secret society of men formed the “Mistick Krewe of Comus.” This society brought magic to the streets of New Orleans with spectacular floats and marching bands, setting the precedent for modern Mardi Gras traditions. In 1870, the second major Krewe known as “The Twelfth Night Revelers” was formed and introduced “throwing” (where parade members toss trinkets and medallions to crowds) to Mardi Gras celebrations. In 1875, Governor Warmoth signed the “Mardi Gras Act,” making Fat Tuesday, the day before lent where families use all of the fats in their home in preparation for fasting, a legal holiday in Louisiana that remains to this day.

With 78 Krewes in New Orleans today, the different costumes and traditional colors are a spectacle to behold. Some of the most intricate and visually captivating Mardi Gras costumes are those of the Mardi Gras Indians. Adorned in vibrant colors and traditional American Indian clothing, Mardi Gras serves as a day for different tribes to compare their tribal song, dance and dress. Thousands of hours and dollars are invested in these costumes and the proof is in the pudding; the ceremonial chants and dances put these costumes on full display, expressing the individuality of each tribe.

However, the “Mardi Gras Indians” are not actually American Indians. They are comprised, in large, of African-American communities from New Orleans’s inner city. In the early history of the holiday, these groups were generally excluded from Mardi Gras celebrations. Historically, racism and slavery were the root of this cultural separation. As a result, black neighborhoods developed their own ways of celebrating Mardi Gras, naming their Krewes after American Indians to pay respect for their assistance in escaping the tyranny of slavery.

Mardi Gras pastries are another one of the many unique traditions associated with the holiday, the most notable being King Cake. This pastry dates back to twelfth-century France as the main feature of the Feast of Epiphany, a Christian holiday commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ. At this time, small items like a coin or a pea were hidden in the cake, and whoever the “lucky” person with this piece of cake was treated like a king for the year, but at the end was sacrificed to ensure a successful harvest. Nowadays, bakeries hide plastic babies in their cakes. Rather than being sacrificed, the person awarded the baby is often required to host the next Mardi Gras party. 

From parades to costumes to pastries, Mardi Gras celebrations have significantly changed since the first New Orleans parade in 1711. With fewer human sacrifices and more inclusive celebrations as a whole, the holiday can now be enjoyed by all with at least one million people flooding the streets of New Orleans every year.