Mardi Gras Timeline

Surprisingly, this spring celebration began long before Europeans set foot in the New World. In mid-February the ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, a circus like festival not entirely unlike the Mardi Gras we are familiar with today. When Rome embraced Christianity, the early Church fathers decided it was better to incorporate certain aspects of pagan rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. Carnival became a period of abandon and merriment that preceded the penance of Lent, thus giving a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom.

While it's precise origins are as mysterious as the ingredients in Jumbalya, here's a timeline that traces how exactly Mardi Gras came to be.

• 1699-Pierre Le Moyne declares his camp "Pointe du Mardi Gras" at the mouth of the Mississippi river.
• 1717-Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, establishes the port colony of Nouvelle Orle'ans. The St. Louis Cathedral is built.
• 1743-The Marquis de Vaudreil (the governor of LA establishes elegant society balls that became the earliest model of the Carnival Ball Masque celebrations
• 1820-Maskers on foot and in decorated wagons begin to appear on Fat Tuesaday
• 1857-First modern day Mardi Gras begins with the flambeaux (lit torch parade)
• 1871-The Twelfth Night revelers present Mardi Gras with its first queen.
• 1872-First daytime procession presented by Rex, the king of the carnival for a Russian Duke who was in town to view the burlesque play, "Blue Beard." The show's melody was "If I ever cease to love." The crowds went wild. It was played during the first Rex parade and has remained the royal anthem of Mardi Gras. Rex also gave carnival its flag and offical colors-purple for justice, gold for power, and green for faith.
• 1896-Les Mysterieuses, Carnival's first female organization stages its first ball
• 1910-The first Zulu parade. The Tramps hand out the first 'coconut'
• 1950-International news is made when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor bow to the make believe monarch Rex at the ball
• 1977-Arthur Hardy publishes his guide to the Carnival
• 2005-Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans
• 2008-After the devestation caused by hurricane Katrina, Mardi Gras becomes a symbol of New Orlean's efforts to rebuild.

Some fun facts and dates in the history of Mardi gras:

Mardi Gras is also celebrated in Mobile Ala. Believe it or not the city also hosts a pre-Lenten tradition and sometimes professes to have been the original host. But its first recorded celebration was in 1704.
Mardi Gras has been officially cancelled. The celebration was cancelled during World War I and 11, but not during prohibition.
Only kings and queens can fly flags with crowns. While the purple, green and gold flags are flown throughout New Orleans during the festivities, crowns are reserved for Mardi Gras royalty.
It's legal to drink alcohol in the streets of the Big Easy, as long as the container isn't breakable.

Mardi Gras' official colors are Russian. Because the first Mardi Gras parade honored a Russian prince, the colors reflect the royal house of Romanov: purple (for justice), green (for faith) and gold (for power).