Surprise! Alabama's Mobile Is the OG Mardi Gras City

Mardi Gras in America has become a staple of celebrations that happen every year. Nowhere celebrates this staple like New Orleans. The drinking, the costumes, and the parades are all parts of the festivities yearly. These activities for Americans are what make this celebration process an enjoyable experience.

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The first celebration of Mardi Gras was held in 1703 in a small settlement called Fort Louis de la Louisiane that was discovered by French Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville. Surprisingly, Fort Louis de la Louisiane wasn’t even in what turned out to be Louisiana; the land mass eventually turned out to be Mobile, Alabama.

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Mardi Gras in Mobile is different from New Orleans, while it may be different in scale, it is similar in aesthetic. Attendees can look forward to the tradition of Moon Pies being tossed into crowds. This heritage is a real thing that started as boxes of Cracker Barrel, but with them being harder in texture, the city wanted something softer to throw into crowds.

Moon pies, as they relate to Mobile, have grown to become a significant aspect of Mardi Gras in Mobile. As a safer alternative to hard candies and beads, it opted to be the go-to softer option for treats. Moon Pies have become such a staple that bars have started making Moon Pie-related cocktails, and the city also hosts Moon Pie-related events around town.

Tommao Wang | Unsplash

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is what people normally consider when they think about the holiday, but the tradition started in Alabama. So the next time you want to participate in the Mardi Gras activities, you might not have to travel to N.O. to enjoy it.