Many cultures have melded over generations to create the “most unique city” in the United States, and it’s partly thanks to Napoléon Bonaparte.
The city started out as La Nouvelle-Orléans, founded in 1718 as a colonial outpost by the French Mississippi Company. It was named after the Duke of Orléans, who was posted to the New World as Regent of the Kingdom of France on the order of his uncle, King Louis XV.
For the next 85 years French settlers continued to arrive and turned the city into a Francophile stronghold. It’s ironic, then, that it was the French conqueror Napoléon who finally broke his countrymen’s grip when he sold the entire state of Louisiana to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The sale opened New Orleans’ doors to a flood of new immigrants: Anglo-Americans, French Creoles, Haitians, Cubans, Africans (many of them freed slaves) and, later, Germans and Irish.
The Français flavour eventually fused with these other nationalities to form the unique lingo, culture and cuisine for which New Orleans is world famous today. Nevertheless, the city’s founding influence remains distinct and the French Quarter is one of its top tourist attractions, along with its many jazz clubs (this is, after all, the birthplace of jazz) and the iconic Mardi Gras festival.
Now synonymous with New Orleans, Mardi Gras was first celebrated here in the 1730s. Many of the traditions remain, including the role of krewes (social clubs) and secret societies in organising the parades, along with larger-than-life floats, elaborate costumes, marching bands, dancing troupes and plenty of festivities. Over one million people cram the city streets during the peak of the festival, but celebrations begin well beforehand, with parades starting at least two weeks ahead of the finale. These earlier parades are more family friendly, or you can catch the neighbourhood walking krewes, which offer a more intimate experience.
Mardi Gras usually falls between February and March, but New Orleans remains a year-round destination. With its soulful jazz history, incredible Cajun cuisine, non-stop nightlife and world-famous attractions like Bourbon Street, there’s always a reason to celebrate in this slice of America’s Deep South.
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