Tracing the Origins of Mardi Gras - 633 Words

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. On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it Pointe du Mardi Gras when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established Fort Louis de la Louisiane (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated Americas very first Mardi Gras. In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile), similar to those that form our current Mardi Gras krewes. It lasted until 1709. In 1710, the Boeuf Gras Society was formed and paraded from 1711 through 1861. The procession was held with a huge bulls head pushed alone on wheels by 16 men. Later, Rex would parade with an actual bull, draped in white and signaling the coming Lenten meat fast. This occurred on Fat Tuesday. New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early 1740s, Louisianas governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today. The earliestShow MoreRelatedpreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 Pageslarge paintbrush, first paints some areas green and then uses a smaller paintbrush to make orange dots scattered among the green areas. Says, â€Å"This is a pumpkin patch.† †¢ Paints the sun as a round yellow circle. †¢ Draws what was seen at a Mardi Gras parade and shows the colorful drawings to the teacher. †¢ Uses finger paint and, on own initiative, adds a moon and a tree to the finished work. †¢ Draws a dragon and asks the teacher, â€Å"Do we have gold crayons? I need to color the dragon