Most people recognize Mardi Gras as a huge parade in New Orleans, where the goal is to get as many beads as possible. However, do you really know what the parade is all about?
The term "Mardi Gras" is French for Fat Tuesday and is the practice of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the lenten season. The day following Mardi Gra is "Ash Wednesday", indicating the start of lent.
On March 2, 1699 French-Canadian explorer, Jean Baptiste Le Mayne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground sixty miles south of New Orleans and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras," when his men realized that it was the eve of the festive holiday. New Orleans was established in 1718 in Bienville and, by the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly there. However, it was not always like the festive parades that we know today. In the early 1740s, Mardi Gras was composed on elegant society balls. The first "carnival" Mardi Gras was in 1781 and, as the years progressed, more and more entertainment has been added to the parade to make it more extraordinary. In the 1840s, there were maskers, carriages and horseback riders lining the streets to celebrate the holiday. As time went on, there were gaslight torches, fantastic float designs with full saturated color and intricate costume designs. The typical colors of the parade are purple, green and gold and you can find almost everyone on the streets wearing beads, some indivudals even having hundreds of them around their neck.
Today, Mardi Gras brings thousands of people to Bourbon Street to listen to lively music, eat and meet new people. People all over the country will come to Mardi Gras just to have a weekend of entertainment and fun. In reference to this, Breezin' Entertainment and Productions has all the Mardi Gras entertainment you need if you're looking into celebrating Mardi Gra closer to home. Just because you aren't going to New Orleans doesn't mean you still can't celebrate!
A picture of one of our stilt walkers!
We have all kinds of Mardi Gra themed entertainment, along with entertainment for any other occasion so contact Breezin' Entertainment for all your entertainment needs!
3711 Swann, Tampa FL 33609
(813)348-4998 or (941) 726-1286
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