Mardi Gras is a big deal along the Gulf Coast from Pensacola west to New Orleans. Here in the US, the tradition arrived in 1699 with the LeMoyne brothers, Iberville and Bienville as they and their crew set out to settle and defend France’s claim in the new world. The first real celebrations started in 1702 with the settlement of the first site of Mobile, AL although there had been a brief acknowledgement of the holiday in 1699 while the crew was still on board their ship searching for a suitable spot to set up a settlement near the mouth of the Mississippi River. As the French colonies on the gulf coast moved westward from Mobile, the Mardi Gras traditions traveled with the settlers and grew ever more elaborate and important in the social life of the communities.
Sample Coloring Page Download
This coloring book commemeorates some of the traditions and imagery of Mardi Gras celebrations. The book will soon be updated with text outlining a timeline of important dates in US Mardi Gras history and a glossary of associated terms. For now the book is simply pages to color. Click the video link to view the current interior pages of the print on demand book which can be purchased on Amazon.
