The history of Mardi GrasIn French Mardi Gras means "Shrove Tuesday". It is celebrated 41 days before Easter Sunday, which is determined by the Catholic Church based on the lunar calendar. It can fall anywhere from February 3 to March 9. Mardi Gras began in Paris, France, during the Middle Ages and was brought to New Orleans by the French explorer Iberville in 1699. The first parade took place in 1837. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the early 1800s the Mardi Gras crowd became very violent and was on the verge of being banned when in 1857 a group of men formed a society called the Mystic Krewe of Comus. This was the first of the Krewes that now make up the Mardi Gras festivals. The Krewe of Comus helped organize and bring peace to parades and dances, and Mardi Gras was never outlawed. However, it was canceled in the early 1900s during World War I and the Great Depression. Mardi Gras has since grown in size and popularity and is now made up of dozens of Krewes and is internationally recognized. Most Mardi Gras Krewes have existed for years and developed from private social clubs that had restrictive memberships until the city of New Orleans introduced an anti-discrimination ordinance for holding parades. These Krewes are normally made up of a king and queen, dukes, knights and captains. Most Krewes will hold a dance and/or parade during Mardi Gras. The official Mardi Gras season begins on January 6, twelve days after Christmas. This is the day when it is believed that the three wise men brought gifts to Jesus after his birth. The traditional preparation of king cakes was also started in honor of these three kings. King cakes consist of a baked coffee cake covered in frosting and the three colors of Mardi Gras. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In the past it was a kernel of gold placed in the cake and whoever got the piece with the bean inside had to host the next king cake party or buy the next cake. The bean has since been replaced with a little plastic baby, but the same rules still apply.