Mardi Gras originated in medieval Europe , with roots in ancient Roman pagan festivals that later merged with Christian pre-Lenten traditions.

Quick Scoop: Where Mardi Gras Started

  • The earliest roots go back to ancient Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Lupercalia, which involved feasting, revelry, and celebrations of spring and fertility.
  • These pagan celebrations were later absorbed into Christian practice in Europe as a final day of feasting and partying before Lent, the fasting period before Easter.
  • As this tradition developed in Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries, it evolved into what we now recognize as Carnival and Mardi Gras.
  • From there, it spread to France , where the term “Mardi Gras” (“Fat Tuesday” in French) became common, tied to using up rich foods before Lent.

So, if you’re asking “where was Mardi Gras originated,” the short historical answer is:

It originated in Europe , especially in Rome, Venice, and France , as a Christianized version of older Roman festivals, long before it ever reached New Orleans.

How It Reached America (Bonus Context)

  • French explorers carried the Mardi Gras tradition to North America at the end of the 17th century.
  • In 1699, the French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville landed near the mouth of the Mississippi, realized it was the eve of Mardi Gras, and named the spot “Pointe du Mardi Gras.”
  • The first recorded Mardi Gras celebration in what is now the United States happened in the early 1700s around Mobile (then part of French Louisiana), with New Orleans celebrations following later in the 18th century.

Today’s “Where” vs. Original “Where”

  • Many people now associate Mardi Gras mainly with New Orleans , but that’s where it became world-famous, not where it originally began.
  • Historically, the origin is European (rooted in Rome, Venice, and France), while New Orleans and Mobile are key early centers of the festival in the Americas.

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