Mardi Gras History in Jefferson Parish | Krewes & Colors (2024)

FAQs

What are the history of the Mardi Gras colors? ›

The Truth About the Purple, Green, and Gold of Mardi Gras

And in 1892, the Rex parade theme "Symbolism of Colors" gave meaning to these colors. Purple Represents Justice. Green Represents Faith. Gold Represents Power.

Mardi Gras has been celebrated in New Orleans since the explorer Iberville first set foot here on Mardi Gras Day 1699. In French colonial days, wealthy members of Creole society threw lavish Mardi Gras balls from Twelfth Night (Jan. 6) to Fat Tuesday Eve.

The official colors are purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Shirley Henderson, former communications director for the Diocese of Biloxi (adjacent to New Orleans, said that, despite seeming secular, Mardi Gras is actually “a kind of evangelizing.”

Mardi Gras, festive day celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), which marks the close of the pre-Lenten season. The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.

The most popular size today is about thirty-three inches long. They are also now made with cheaper and safer materials like plastic and aluminum rather than glass. Traditional Mardi Gras beads are purple, green, and gold colors. The purple symbolizes justice; the green represents faith, and the gold signifies power.

It's an early springtime renewal and is essentially a way for communities to celebrate and find themselves.” This celebration includes dancing, drinking, community cooking and celebration, and begging. The fête de la quémande, or feast of begging, is the highlight of Cajun Mardi Gras.

Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas; to Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana; and north to Natchez, Mississippi and Alexandria, Louisiana, have active Mardi Gras celebrations.

Bonus Fun Fact: Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in Louisiana, and has been since 1875, when Governor Warmoth signed the “Mardi Gras Act.”

That tradition started in Mobile, home of Mardi Gras, when it was decided that Cracker Jack boxes, the item that used to be thrown during parades, were just too darn hard. So, MoonPies, a value at just a nickel back then, became the thing to throw.

Mardi Gras Sayings

What happens on the float, stays on the float! Time for big fun in the Big Easy. Life of the Mardi!

What is the proper greeting for Mardi Gras? ›

"Laissez les bons temps rouler" is the official greeting.

You'll hear laissez les bons temps rouler (pronounced lay-say le bon tom roo-lay) over and over again at Mardi Gras celebrations. It means "let the good times roll" in Cajun French. We can get behind that idea!

It is the recognition of when the wise men arrived to see baby Jesus and pay him homage by bringing gifts. Wayne Phillips, curator of Carnival Collections at the Louisiana State Museum, said that in 18th and 19th century New Orleans, the celebration of Mardi Gras was focused around the king cake.

Mardi Gras is a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. It was initially celebrated by European Christians as a way to mark the beginning of Lent and to prepare for the fasting period of Easter.

The colors of the icing (and the royal colors of Mardi Gras) have a deeper meaning. Gold represents power, green is associated with faith, and purple illustrates justice. King Cake is a frosted seasonal treat usually eaten between January 6, known as King's Day or Twelfth Night, and Fat Tuesday.

The 'Nevergreens' member, who wished to remain anonymous, said green was added to the Mardi Gras color palate in 1872 in New Orleans, 169 years after Mobile's first official Mardi Gras with the purple and gold colors in 1703.

Represents Authority & Power

This is because purple and yellow is a combination that suggests authority and power because of its imperialistic connection. This is why this is a winning combination for a sports team; fraternity crests or even institute logos.

Mardi Gras masks in particular originated in ritual celebrations. New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras for hundreds of years, and is the largest masked party in North America. In the beginning, masks worn during Mardi Gras allowed wearers to escape society and class constraints.