Mardi Gras functions as part of the Carnival celebration in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe. I had discussed the Afro-Latin American connections to Carnival in previous posts over the years in relation to Puerto Rico via the African diasporic connections through the vejigante masks and bomba music and dance. Regarding the version specific to the United States from areas like New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, Carnival and Mardi Gras combine the traditions from African, Francophone European, and indigenous cultures. Carnival celebrations run based on the Christian (Catholic) Liturgical Calander and begin on the Epiphany (January 6). Mardi Gras marks the final day for Carnival festivities in preparation for Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent through fasting and personal reflection. Mardi Gras for 2026 falls on February 17th.[1]
The American connections to Mardi Gras in the “New World” derive from French colonization. However, they vary by date and location. One of the first documented references to Mardi Gras and New Orleans derives from the settlement of Louisiana on March 2, 1699, via the “Pointe de Mardi Gras,” after French-Canadian colonizers arrived on land on a Fat Tuesday. Mobile, Alabama also claims to have the first reference to Mardi Gras festivities in the city as early as 1703. Sources on the topic mention that this occurred because Mobile served as part of Louisiana under French rule at the time. Information concerning the first documented Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans proves equally conflicting. Local historians and tour guides indicate 1837 based on newspaper archives, while others specify 1781 during the brief Spanish colonization of Louisiana.[2] Entertainment for Mardi Gras originated as private events via masked balls and limited to the wealthy via subscriptions. It did not grow into a more public event with parades, music, and performance societies and social clubs (krewes) until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with Mardi Gras becoming an official holiday for Louisiana in the 1870s.
I have visited both New Orleans and Mobile respectively several times over the past decade. Based on the photo galleries that I have provided below, both cities share the historical preservation of the cultural and musical traditions of Mardi Gras through pageantry and jazz, even though New Orleans tends to receive more attention. Both cities also provide schedules for the festivities and parade routes throughout the Carnival season, with each parade hosted by a given krewe or social club.
New Orleans, LA Carnival/Mardi Gras Schedule
Mobile, AL Carnival/Mardi Gras 2026 Schedule
[1] The origins for Carnival date back to ancient Rome and served as a time for partying and debauchery, with the tern “carnival” deriving from Latin meaning “farewell to meat.”
[2] Viewers must exercise caution when searching for visual documentary evidence about Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Some videos tend to concentrate too much on sensationalism and spreading disinformation about people and events in the city.
The American connections to Mardi Gras in the “New World” derive from French colonization. However, they vary by date and location. One of the first documented references to Mardi Gras and New Orleans derives from the settlement of Louisiana on March 2, 1699, via the “Pointe de Mardi Gras,” after French-Canadian colonizers arrived on land on a Fat Tuesday. Mobile, Alabama also claims to have the first reference to Mardi Gras festivities in the city as early as 1703. Sources on the topic mention that this occurred because Mobile served as part of Louisiana under French rule at the time. Information concerning the first documented Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans proves equally conflicting. Local historians and tour guides indicate 1837 based on newspaper archives, while others specify 1781 during the brief Spanish colonization of Louisiana.[2] Entertainment for Mardi Gras originated as private events via masked balls and limited to the wealthy via subscriptions. It did not grow into a more public event with parades, music, and performance societies and social clubs (krewes) until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with Mardi Gras becoming an official holiday for Louisiana in the 1870s.
I have visited both New Orleans and Mobile respectively several times over the past decade. Based on the photo galleries that I have provided below, both cities share the historical preservation of the cultural and musical traditions of Mardi Gras through pageantry and jazz, even though New Orleans tends to receive more attention. Both cities also provide schedules for the festivities and parade routes throughout the Carnival season, with each parade hosted by a given krewe or social club.
New Orleans, LA Carnival/Mardi Gras Schedule
Mobile, AL Carnival/Mardi Gras 2026 Schedule
[1] The origins for Carnival date back to ancient Rome and served as a time for partying and debauchery, with the tern “carnival” deriving from Latin meaning “farewell to meat.”
[2] Viewers must exercise caution when searching for visual documentary evidence about Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Some videos tend to concentrate too much on sensationalism and spreading disinformation about people and events in the city.
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