THE HISTORY OF MARDI GRAS

                Some historians believe Mardi Gras can be traced back to two Roman celebrations.  Lupercalia was a wild day where nude young men ran around and struck women with thongs.  Saturnalia also had a party atmosphere.  Masters served their slave banquets.  Gifts were given, mostly gag gifts.  Beans were baked in cakes.  If you found it, you were “king for the day”.  The populace elected a “King of Saturnalia”. 

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the celebrations spread to France, Germany, Spain, and England.  Some historians dispute the Saturnalia and Lupercalia theory.  They argue that the day actually was a result of the Christian ban on meat and sex in Lent.  It should be no surprise that Christians decided to party before the bleak 40 day period of self-sacrifice.  The holiday was known as Shrove Tuesday.  Christians were to prepare for Lent by examining their sinfulness and asking for repentance.  Mothers baked pancakes to use up the eggs, butter, and fat.  You were to refrain from them in Lent.  It was called “Pancake Day”.  In France, it was waffles and crepes.  People binged on meat and sex since they were forbidden in Lent.  Gradually, this holiday associated with preparing for Lent became more of a party.

                Mardi Gras came to North America on March 2, 1699.  Explorers Pierre d’Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near the future site of New Orleans.  There was a small celebration at the spot that became known as Point du Mardi Gras.  In 1703, the first organized parades began in Mobile, Alabama.  In New Orleans, street parties, masked balls, and big banquets became attached to the holiday.  French settlers began the tradition of eating a “galette de rois”, now called king cakes.  Originally, some cakes were baked with a bean or a coin inside.  In the 1940s, a baker in New Orleans named Donald Entringer was approached by a traveling salesman offering tiny ceramic babies.  Entringer began putting them in his king cakes.  Entringer explained that the babies represented the baby Jesus.  Later, plastic babies were preferred.  Finding the baby symbolized luck and prosperity for the next year.  Since you were going to be lucky and rich, you could afford to buy the next king cake.

                  The Spanish banned the celebration as debauchery increased.  It was not renewed until 1827 when college students danced through the streets.  Ten years later, New Orleans had its first parade that was recognizable to modern viewers.  In 1857, some businessmen created the Mistick Krewe of Comus.  The first theme was “The Demon Actors in Milton’s Paradise Lost”.  They included marching bands and floats into their parade.  The colors of purple (justice) gold, (power) and green (faith) became the official colors of New Orleans Mardi Gras in 1872 when newspapers told the public to decorate their balconies with the colors.  There was no explanation why the specific colors were chosen.  Throwing beads, wearing masks, and decorating floats came in soon. In the 1920’s, the oldest krewe, the Rex Krewe, began throwing beads and later doubloons.  The first recorded baring of breasts for beads was in 1889.  In 1992, the New Orleans city council banned segregation of krewes.  Mardi Gras is not exclusive to New Orleans.  Mexico has “Rosca de Reyes”.  In Mexico City, a mile long king cake is consumed by the populace.

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras

https://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-mardi-gras

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/mardi-gras-fat-tuesday-history/index.htm 

https://www.countryliving.com/life/a30814344/mardi-gras-history/