Mardi Gras (‘fat Tuesday’, in English – or we call it Shrove Tuesday) is a season of music, parades, floats and balls, described as ‘America’s greatest party’. Mardi Gras was introduced to New Orleans by French settlers and first celebrated in the early 18th century. Since the first modern-day pageant was presented in 1857, more than 1,800 Mardi Gras parades have been staged in New Orleans.