You may have noticed that Mardi Gras Day, or Fat Tuesday, will sometimes fall in February one year and March the next. There's a surprisingly simple reason Fat Tuesday shifts around the calendar for Carnival season in Mobile, Alabama, the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the U.S.
Let's break it down.
The Easter Bunny is involved
Maybe not the rabbit itself, but Mardi Gras' ever-changing dates are tied to the Easter celebration, as marked by the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar. It goes like this:
⇢ Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox, according to the Church's calendar.
⇢ Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter Sunday, marking the beginning of Lent.
⇢ Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, making it exactly 47 days before Easter.
Mardi Gras in Mobile lasts about three weeks, leading up to Fat Tuesday, allowing revelers to lassiez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll!) ahead of Lent, a period of rest, repentance and resolutions.
Part of Mobile's History since 1703
During Mardi Gras, the Port City comes to life as over 40 parades roll through downtown Mobile. Elaborate-themed floats manned by masked mystic societies, mounted police and marching bands wind through downtown Mobile and surrounding areas, entertaining nearly a million revelers each year.
Our Carnival celebration is a family-friendly and accessible time of parties, balls, parades and revelry. Find your spot and get ready to catch MoonPies, beads and trinkets. And not to forget the man who kept Mardi Gras alive, Joe Cain Day is observed the Sunday before Fat Tuesday.
Joe Cain Day: Only in Mobile, Alabama
Joe Cain is the man. He brought Mardi Gras back to life after the Civil War by leading an impromptu parade down the streets of Mobile and we've been doing it ever since. He has a whole day dedicated to him during Mardi Gras.
Joe Cain Day, is when Mobilians come alive in a way you need to see to believe. It's a day when families, friends and everyone in between, are downtown to celebrate what our hero, Joe Cain started all those years ago. Mobilians feel incredibly lucky to have Mardi Gras and on Joe Cain Sunday, you can feel it in your bones.
Mardi Gras started in 1703, was revived by Joe Cain, and we've been doing it ever since.
