Now, that's not true! And lest I sound harsh, since we all know the limitations of text, please know that I offer this in the good natured manner of mutual friends, and don't intend it as any kind of smack-down. :)
The festival itself dates to the 2nd century. The name "Mardi Gras" predates the arrival of Europeans in America, as evidenced by the fact that in 1699, Sieur d'Iberville landed in what is now Louisiana on Shrove Tuesday and named the spot Point du Mardi Gras.
As a Cajun myself, I'd also argue that the country Courir de Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Run) celebration is every bit as important and valid as the New Orleans one, perhaps moreso. If you're not familiar with the Courir do Mardi Gras, it's a fascinating and very medieval-feeling celebration that one can easily imagine being celebrated for hundreds of years. The men (mostly), called "Mardi Gras", wearing crazy, colorful outfits with tall, pointed caps and painted mesh masks, ride a circuit through the back roads, going from farm to farm and begging for something for
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The festival itself dates to the 2nd century. The name "Mardi Gras" predates the arrival of Europeans in America, as evidenced by the fact that in 1699, Sieur d'Iberville landed in what is now Louisiana on Shrove Tuesday and named the spot Point du Mardi Gras.
As a Cajun myself, I'd also argue that the country Courir de Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Run) celebration is every bit as important and valid as the New Orleans one, perhaps moreso. If you're not familiar with the Courir do Mardi Gras, it's a fascinating and very medieval-feeling celebration that one can easily imagine being celebrated for hundreds of years. The men (mostly), called "Mardi Gras", wearing crazy, colorful outfits with tall, pointed caps and painted mesh masks, ride a circuit through the back roads, going from farm to farm and begging for something for ( ... )
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