Carmen K. Sisson | Photographer

Vintage children’s costumes from 1934 to 1950 are displayed at Mobile Carnival Museum, Feb 15, 2023, in Mobile, Alabama. The trains, embellished with fine furs, silks, and jewels, were worn by Mardi Gras kings and queens in years past. Mardi Gras floats can take eight to 12 weeks to construct. Mobile Carnival Museum opened in 2005 and is dedicated to the history of Mardi Gras. Mobile is known as the home of the first, original Mardi Gras, a tradition dating back to 1703. The city of New Orleans also claims to be the home of the first Mardi Gras. Historians believe that French-Canadian explorers Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville arrived in Louisiana in 1699, naming a point south of Louisiana Pointe du Mardi Gras. Bienville founded the city of Mobile in 1702, and in 1703, Mobile’s French settlers celebrated the city’s first Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras traditionally begins on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, and ends the day before Ash Wednesday. It has become known as a time of revelry and, sometimes, debauchery, preceding the 40 days of Lent before Easter Sunday. Though Mardi Gras was originally a Catholic holiday, many non-Catholics now enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. Mobile’s Mardi Gras has an anuual economic impact of more than $408 million. (Photo by Carmen K. Sisson/Cloudybright)