is it actually a big deal in Louisiana? is it a big deal where you live?

40 comments

  1. It’s biggest in New Orleans. Fairly popular throughout the state of Louisiana, and somewhat popular in a few other cities along the Gulf Coast. That’s about it. To most of the country, it’s just another Tuesday.

  2. New Orleans has the biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the country.

    Any area that has a large enough Catholic population will do *something* for the start of Lent, although it might just be within church. When I used to go to church, there was always some kind of party after Mass during Carneval week.

  3. You can usually find king cakes outside of Louisiana around Mardi Gras but that’s about it everywhere I’ve lived.

  4. New Orleans, LA & Mobile, AL & Lafayette, LA are the main ones. I know of smaller ones in St Louis and NYC.

  5. It’s a *decently* big deal in St. Louis, MO…I wouldn’t suggest travelling there from afar just for Mardi Gras, but plenty of people from the region will visit [St. Louis and party in Soulard the day of the parade](https://stlmardigras.org/).

    People are aware of Mardi Gras in most of the country, but other than pastries and the occasional theme night at a bar it isn’t really widely celebrated in my experience.

  6. Growing up, we moved around a bunch. It was probably biggest when we lived in Gulfport, MS and Biloxi, MS, but it was a pretty big thing in Mobile, AL too. Basically anywhere in that area along the Gulf Coast usually takes it pretty seriously as a celebration, though the religious aspect of it is less pronounced.

  8. Mardi Gras is a big thing on the MS gulf coast. Kids get a 5 day weekend from school. Lots of parades and Mardi Gras Balls.

  9. It’s a popular party night in Buffalo slightly less popular than Cinco De Mayo.

    A bars will have Mardi Gras themed drinks and music. Not really the type of extravagant celebration you see in NOLA though.

  10. It’s biggest in states that were formerly French territories/catholic. The catholic college I attended in the Northeast had small celebration with food and some other colleges do that as well.

  11. I celebrated this year with Popeye’s chicken. Best I could do since I’m in the Philly suburbs.

  12. Don’t overlook Mobile, Alabama. Although Louisiana is known for it, Mobile was where the first one was. It’s a huge thing in Alabama as well. I’m pretty sure it’s a state holiday.

    Around central Florida outside of universal studios and maybe some bars cashing in on it. No one really cares. It’s actually the time when we get the most tourists from Louisiana. Those that want to get away

  13. To a lesser degree, some people eat pancakes on Mardis Gras (aka Shrove Tuesday), as in the past it was a way to use up butter and eggs before the Lenten fast. I believe a couple of the Anglican/Episcopal churches around here have a pancake supper on the day for that reason. In a non-religious vein, it is sometimes called National Pancake Day due to the tradition (and I believe the restaurant chain IHOP gives away pancakes on that day).

  15. Grew up in Oklahoma. Now live in Texas. Couldn’t even tell you when it starts. Did it start already? I know it’s in the spring.

  19. I mean I noticed decorations in the cafeteria when I went down for food during my shift but I couldn’t tell you what day the decorations were for was actually supposed to be on.

  20. New Orleans goes all out. You might see a King Cake here or there in grocery stores or a theme night at a bar or club across the country though, and for some reason my Catholic grade school in Nebraska would celebrate it every year

  21. My family’s PA Dutch (not Amish or anything, my grandparents still speak the language tho), and it was always ‘Fastnacht day’ to us. Had a big gathering at church with a talent show and a few hundred Fastnachts (potato donuts covered in sugar). Nowhere as wild as Mardi Gras, but celebrating the same holiday.

  22. I grew up in Louisiana and it’s a huge deal there. At LSU we got Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras off as school holidays. This also skews spring break for most of Lousiana as well to be aligned with Easter as opposed to randomly in March or near st Patrick’s day. Like this year spring break for Lousiana schools will be kind of late compared to a lot of the US.

    If you ever go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras I recommend doing it two ways. See a parade downtown like along Canal Street. Do that whole mostly tourist thing. Then also take in a parade from either uptown or mid city for a more local feel. Both are a lot of fun in their own way. Also, figure out the bathroom situation before you start drinking.

  24. I saw one guy in a bar wearing Mardi gras beads other than that, nothing happening in my area. I live about as far from New Orleans as you can get in the contiguous US.

  25. Houston here. We get excited and throw our own little version in Galveston (1 hour south of Houston). But a lot of people from Houston will make the 6-7 hour drive to New Orleans to go.

  26. South of Interstate 10, east of Houston, TX, and west of Pensacola, FL

    We love our Cajun holiday

    Laissez les bon temps rouler, mon ami!!!

  28. I’ve never once celebrated it (Midwest), unless it was on a weekend and an excuse to go out and get drunk

  34. I have gone to Mardi gras in New Orleans. It was an experience for sure. Imagine thousands of ppl rambling drunk around a couple streets in a square. It was a loud and aggressive festival focused most on drinking tons of alcohol and seeing naked women’s body parts. As in getting beads for flashing breasts or coconuts for further south region. I live in Oklahoma and it is so not a thing here. In my whole life where I live I have only seen it celebrated in nursing homes to simply be an activity for the pts to do. I attended one Mardi gras as I said but I have no desire to attend again. When I went you could not tell there was religious meaning behind it for sure lol.
    One grand thing is New Orleans it’s self. Beautiful and historic in all her Glory! Also I was amazed how so much trash was left in the streets but the very next day was as if it never happened. Clean tidy and back to business as normal.

  36. In New Orleans is amazing! Universal Studios in Florida does a decent parade and food festival. Some areas have small community parades.

    Sometimes there are some local mardis gras parties in other areas, but much simplified.

  37. It’s the kind of thing everyone knows about but few (as a percentage of the population) actively celebrate. People who want to experience Mardi Gras will go to New Orleans for the real experience. They know they won’t find it in Cincinnati and Kansas City and Cheyenne, Wyoming and Albany, New York. It’s not that kind of universal holiday. It’s not Christmas or Thanksgiving or Halloween or New Year’s Eve. But it’s certainly widely recognized and, as others above have said, you might find Mardi Gras-themed events at bars or whatever all over the country, but no one will think it’s actually a true Mardi Gras celebration. It’s just a small dash of Mardi Gras flavor.

  38. It was big where I lived in Alabama — on the Gulf Coast in Orange Beach. I was even part of a parade one or two times as a child, and have been to many in my childhood.

  39. South of I-10 from Pensacola Fl to Lake Charles La it’s one hell of a good time. If you’ve never experienced it you’re missing out.

  40. It used to be a big deal in the Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis. Parade, beads, flashing a whole mini New Orleans, but I don’t think it’s as big there anymore.

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