Mardi Gras Carnival (New Orleans) 2026, 2027 and further

View below the dates for (among others) Mardi Gras Carnival (New Orleans) 2026 and Mardi Gras Carnival (New Orleans) 2027.
You can also see on which day the holiday falls and how many days it is until this holiday.

Significance of Mardi Gras Carnival 2026

Mardi Gras Carnival 2026, also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, is an annual celebration in the United States and in many countries around the world–mainly those with large Roman Catholic populations. Traditionally, it is known as the day prior to the religious season of Lent begins but it also serves as a day of celebration.

History of Mardi Gras Carnival

The history of Mardi Gras Carnival 2026 dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of spring and fertility, including the raucous Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate these popular local traditions into the new faith and as a result, the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

In the United States, the Mardi Gras Carnival dates back to March 3, 1699, when the French explorers Iberville and Bienville landed in what is now called Louisiana, just south of New Orleans. They held a small celebration and dubbed the spot Point du Mardi Gras. In the decades that followed, New Orleans and other French settlements began marking the holiday with street parties, masked balls and lavish dinners. When the Spanish took control of New Orleans, however, they abolished these rowdy rituals, and the bans remained in force until Louisiana became a state in the United States of America in 1812.

On Mardi Gras in 1827, a group of students dressed in colourful costumes and danced through the streets of New Orleans. Ten years later, the first recorded New Orleans Mardi Gras parade took place, a tradition that continues to this day. In 1857, a secret society of New Orleans businessmen called the Mistick Krewe of Comus organized a torch-lit Mardi Gras procession with marching bands and rolling floats, setting the tone for future public popular celebrations in the city that still exist today. The event was well received and continued until it was suspended during the American Civil War.

Mardi Gras was one of the first local institutions to be revived after the war. It reappeared in 1866 and has continued to grow in modern times. Louisiana is the only state in which Mardi Gras 2026 is a legal holiday

Traditions of Mardi Gras Carnival 2026

The Mardi Gras Carnival 2026 traditionally features large festivals and celebrations across the United States. The highlight being the Mardi Gras 2026 parade in New Orleans, in Louisiana, which typical consists of people wearing masquerades and dancing in the streets. Other traditions include the throwing beads and other trinkets, wearing masks, decorating floats and eating King Cake.

When is Mardi Gras Carnival 2026

Mardi Gras Carnival 2026 falls on the day prior to the religious season of Lent begins. The date of the holiday changes each year due to the change in the commencement of Lent; consult the above table for exact dates.See besides 'Mardi Gras Carnival ' even more holidays, click on one of the links below.

View or download the 2025 calendar.

See also the 2025 Calendar.