Mardi Gras esitlus
festivities.
The flambeaux carriers were originally slaves.
Crowds tossed coins to slaves trying to earn money
for their task of lighting the way for the floats - a
custom that continues today.
Now, the torches may be lighter and use butane or
kerosene, but the entertaining exchange between the
crowd and the flambeaux is a rich Carnival tradition.
Mardi Gras History
Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 with the
French explorer Iberville. Mardi Gras had been
celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages, where it
was a major holiday. Iberville sailed into the Gulf of
Mexico, from where he launched an expedition up
the Mississippi River. On March 3 of 1699, Iberville
had set up a camp on the west bank of the river
about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is
today. This was the day Mardi Gras was being
celebrated in France. In honor of this important day,
Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras.
annaabi.ee 
