WASHINGTON — Today is Fat Tuesday and all of Alabama’s U.S. House members agree that the annual Mardi Gras celebration began in Mobile.
U.S. Reps. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, and Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, introduced a congressional resolution to recognize the “cultural and historical significance” of Mardi Gras. It also designates Mobile as the celebration’s birthplace.
“For more than 300 years, the people of Mobile have celebrated Mardi Gras with parades, balls and community, marking the close of Carnival and the beginning of Lent,” Moore said in a statement. “This tradition reflects the shared culture and community found on the Gulf Coast, passed down generation after generation. Mobile was the original home of Mardi Gras in America, and this resolution makes sure that history is recognized and remembered.”
Figures, a Mobile native, said the celebration was “engrained” into the city’s culture. He also poked fun at another southern city that likes to take credit for the festivities.
“Though many people associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans, it is a historical fact that Mardi Gras began on the banks of the Mobile Bay in 1703,” Figures said. “Since then, it has blossomed into one of the greatest and most well-known cultural celebrations in America. I’m proud to write this historical fact into the Congressional Record. New Orleans, you’re welcome.”
Mardi Gras represents the final day of the Carnival season ahead of Lent, which begins on Wednesday. It includes parades, parties and celebrations throughout Mobile and across the country.
All of Alabama’s U.S. House members lent their support for the Mardi Gras resolution.
The dean of the delegation, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, highlighted how Alabama “helped shape” the history and celebration of the holiday.
Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, said she was glad to remind Louisiana of Alabama’s leading role in creating Mardi Gras.
“As we prepare for the Easter season, I am excited to join my friends in the Alabama delegation in celebrating Fat Tuesday and its roots in Mobile, Alabama,” Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, said in a statement.
Reps. Gary Palmer, R-Birmingham, and Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, both recognized the 300-plus-year history of the tradition taking place in Mobile.