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This year the revelry of the carnival season will culminate on Tuesday, Feb. 13, in celebrations around the world before the start of Lent.
In the United States, the city of New Orleans is the capital for all things Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday.”
Although the city has roots deeply centered in French heritage, it was not the first American city to host this event. French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville is rumored to have held the first Mardi Gras in a location about 60 miles downriver.
Years later, settlers, along with French soldiers, would continue the practice by donning masks and enjoying festivities in the newly established town of Mobile, Alabama.