Today is the 199th anniversary of the first-ever Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 1827. The tradition actually started in Rome, but (as with many things) it was brought to the Big Easy by French settlers. Unfortunately for New Orleanians, the festivities ended up drawn into a culture war.
When Spain took hold of Louisiana in 1762 after defeating France in an actual war, the stuffy aristocrats in charge banned the tradition. Despite it returning to French hands some decades later, the parades, masks, and the weeks of partying didn't come back until the city passed into U.S. hands in 1803.
And so we don't leave our Alabaman readers in the cold, it's worth noting that the first big Mardi Gras party was held in 1703, not in NOLA but in Mobile, Ala., where they still hold an annual fête today.
You can learn more about the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans at History.com.
