Videos | Photos

  • Log out

History of Mardi Gras (3:29)

Find out more about the history of Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, and how the holiday came to be synonymous with New Orleans.

Watch Similar Videos

  • This video can be viewed when you log in with your TV provider.

    Select your TV provider to log in to have full access to videos

    • Select your TV provider
    • See More Providers
    Don't see your TV provider? Learn more

Your Parental Control settings do not allow you to view thiscontent.

Videos (14)

  • History of Mardi Gras
    History of Mardi Gras

    Video Clip (3:29)

    Find out more about the history of Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, and how the holiday came to be synonymous with New Orleans.

    Video Clip (3:29)
  • Cajun Foods: Poboys
    Cajun Foods: Poboys

    Video Clip (5:16)

    Get the lowdown on the delectable poboy sandwich, a Louisiana staple.

    Video Clip (5:16)
  • Mardi Gras Parade Krewes
    Mardi Gras Parade Krewes

    Video Clip (2:05)

    In this video clip, learn about Mardi Gras and the Mardi Gras parade Krewes. Parade Krewes are groups of people that go on floats and who have a section in the parade. Also learn about the history of the Mardi Gras parade.

    Video Clip (2:05)
  • Hurricane Katrina
    Hurricane Katrina

    Video Clip (2:38)

    This clip from "History Uncut" provides aerial video of New Orleans, taken from a news helicopter, shortly after Hurricane Katrina. This provides a unique perspective of the devastation that Katrina wreaked on the city.

    Video Clip (2:38)
  • Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake
    Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake

    Video Clip (3:39)

    In this Holiday Foods video clip, we learn about what people traditionally eat during Mardi Gras. The food that is most associated with Mardi Gras is King Cake. Famous Fat Dave talks about the history of Mardi Gras and its traditions.

    Video Clip (3:39)
  • New Orleans: Wood Screw Pumps
    New Orleans: Wood Screw Pumps

    Video Clip (2:36)

    Find out how the city of New Orleans uses wood screw pumps to displace 1,000 cubic feet of water per second, keeping the city dry.

    Video Clip (2:36)
  • Mardi Gras Origins
    Mardi Gras Origins

    Video Clip (1:21)

    In this video clip, learn about Mardi Gras and the history behind it. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, comes from different Pagan traditions. It was later made into a Christian holiday.

    Video Clip (1:21)
  • New Orleans
    New Orleans

    Video Clip (1:58)

    4 years after Hurrican Katrina, many buildings and streets in the city of New Orleans remain abandoned. From houses to basketball courts, see nature's devastating effects in this Life After People video.

    Video Clip (1:58)
  • Louisiana Purchase Doubles U.S.
    Louisiana Purchase Doubles U.S.

    Video Clip (1:24)

    Thomas Jefferson pulls off the land deal of the millennium when he buys 800,000 square miles from the French, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains

    Video Clip (1:24)
  • New Orleans' Above-Ground Cemetery
    New Orleans' Above-Ground Cemetery

    Video Clip (2:47)

    In 1718 French settlers living in New Orleans grappled with the problem of floating corpses. In 1789 the Saint Louis Cemetery was created with above-ground tombs. Today it's both a final resting place and a unique tourist destination.

    Video Clip (2:47)
  • Fat Tuesday on Bourbon Street
    Fat Tuesday on Bourbon Street

    Video Clip (1:41)

    In this video clip, learn about Mardi Gras and how it is today. Today, it is a day devoted purely to celebration. The people come to Bourbon Street dressed in all types of costumes and drink until their hearts are content.

    Video Clip (1:41)
  • Andrew Jackson Defends New Orleans in War of 1812
    Andrew Jackson Defends New Orleans in War of 1812

    Video Clip (3:41)

    Video Clip (3:41)
  • Katrina Rebuild: New Orleans
    Katrina Rebuild: New Orleans

    Video Clip (1:29)

    Mike and Frank venture through New Orleans where they stop to talk to individuals working to help rebuild the Ninth Ward.

    Video Clip (1:29)
  • New Orleans Po'boy
    New Orleans Po'boy

    Video Clip (3:53)

    Food is king in New Orleans, Louisiana but nothing says Big Easy like the city's signature po'boy.

    Video Clip (3:53)

Photo Galleries (2)

  • Louisiana
    Louisiana

    9 Photos

    History.com's State Gallery for Louisiana. Learn more about the state symbols and famous landmarks and the difference between Cajun and Creole.

    (9 Photos)
  • Mardi Gras and Carnival
    Mardi Gras and Carnival

    14 Photos

    A photo slideshow of the celebration of Mardi Gras.

    (14 Photos)

Read More about New Orleans

New Orleans has been the chief city of Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico's busiest northern port since the early 1700s.

Go

Shop HISTORY