More than just a holiday, Mardi Gras 2025 is a long-standing custom that is full of revelry, parades, and culture. New Orleans will come alive with parade floats, beads, and costumes as Fat Tuesday 2025 draws near.
Mardi Gras: What is it?
The Carnival season, which starts on January 6 (Epiphany) and ends the day before Ash Wednesday, comes to a close on Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday. Before Lent begins, this is a time to rejoice, indulge, and enjoy customs.
Background Information about Mardi Gras
Medieval Europe is where Mardi Gras first appeared. When French explorers landed close to what is now Mobile, Alabama, in 1699, the celebration made its way to North America. Prior to the Lenten fasting season, early immigrants commemorated the occasion with a feast and a parade of a “fatted calf” (boeuf gras) throughout the town.
Because of its parades, krewes, and distinctive customs, the New Orleans Mardi Gras has become a global event.
The 2025 Mardi Gras Parade tracker
Do you want to witness the best parades? Use our Fat Tuesday 2025 parade tracker to plan your journey!
- The Zulu Parade, renowned for its hand-decorated coconuts
- Rex Parade: famous for its spectacular floats and regal theme Endymion &
- Bacchus: the largest evening parades
- French Quarter Festivities – jazz, street performers, and vibrant culture
With so much going on, our Mardi Gras 2025 parade tracker will ensure you don’t miss anything!
2025 Mardi Gras traditions and necessities
- Krewes & Parades: Social groups organize extravagant floats and throws.
- The King Cake: A baby figure hidden inside a New Orleans-style cake decorated in purple, green, and gold.
- Collect chalices, glittering shoes, beads, and Zulu coconuts from the floats for your signature throws.
Not Just a Meeting
Although many see Mardi Gras as a time for excess and good times, it is actually a family-friendly cultural tradition. Since certain krewes, like the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, were established by Black communities over a century ago in response to segregation, Mardi Gras is a celebration of heritage and diversity.
Whether you’re there for the parades, the culture, or the history, Mardi Gras 2025 will be an unforgettable occasion.
Source: USA Today
