Mardi Gras, also called Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday in English, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three King's Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. It arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition in the late 17th century, but the date of the first celebration in New Orleans is unknown. A 1730 account by Marc-Antione Caillot notes celebrating with music and dance, masking and costuming.
Read more »