The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies.
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New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans,
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By the late 1830s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras
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Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by their members, New Orleanians call it the "Greatest Free Show on Earth!"

Laissez les bons temps rouler!