Where is mardi gras celebrated

In , the "Boeuf Gras Society" was formed and paraded from through The procession was held with a huge bull's head pushed along on wheels by 16 men. Later, Rex would parade with an actual bull, draped in white and signaling the coming Lenten meat fast. This occurred on Fat Tuesday. New Orleans was established in by Bienville. By the s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.

The earliest reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" appears in a report to the Spanish colonial governing body. By the late s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. Dazzling gaslight torches, or " flambeaux , " lit the way for the krewe's members and lent each event an exciting air of romance and festivity. In , six young Mobile natives formed the Mistick Krewe of Comus , invoking John Milton's hero Comus to represent their organization.

But parties on and around Fat Tuesday take place around the world. Here are five must-visit Mardi Gras celebrations beyond New Orleans. The annual Venice Carnival is famous for its masks: every year since as far back as the 12th century the northern Italian city has celebrated Carnival season with a slate of parties, performances, and balls leading up to Mardi Gras — all frequented by masked, costumed attendees.

Now, more than three million visitors travel to the city for the festival. Typical celebrations include ticketed parties, street performances, and — of course — an annual contest for the most beautiful mask.

Join the party on our nine-day Winter in Italy with Venice Carnival tour. If New Orleans is the most famous Mardi Gras destination, Rio is the biggest literally: an estimated two million people hit the streets for parades and parties every day, which includes an estimated , tourists and visitors.

But here, they all wear the same visage — and have the same name: Gilles. Flocks of Gilles take to the streets on the Tuesday before Lent, wearing wooden clogs, cartoonish masks with green eyes and curly moustaches, and striped orange and red linen costumes stuffed with straw, to create the illusion of a hunched back. The origins of this wonderfully bizarre tradition, which dates as far back as the 14th century, are — somewhat appropriately — unknown.

Thinking of a trip to Belgium? Take a look at our tours in the region. The celebration arrived in New Orleans soon after its founding in About a century later, according to Mardi Gras New Orleans, street parades had become established in the city and many krewes had formed, their members remaining anonymous and their faces hidden by masks. The tradition of float riders throwing trinkets to the crowds also began in the s.

Krewes are private, non-profit organizations whose members get together year-round to plan their parade's theme, costumes and throws, according to Mardi Gras New Orleans. They are individually funded by members through dues, sales of krewe-related merchandise and fundraising, including corporate sponsorships.

The city of New Orleans is not involved in coordinating Mardi Gras parades; its only involvement is to issue parade permits.

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