Epiphany in New Orleans: Mardi Gras Begins January 6, 2027
Mardi Gras doesn't begin on Mardi Gras Day. It begins on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. Christmas is over, and Carnival season has officially begun in New Orleans.
The Christmas decorations come down, the purple, green, and gold decorations go up, and king cakes appear in bakeries all over town. It's time to start celebrating.
Twelfth Night Parades in New Orleans
New Orleans doesn't wait until February to start parading. On January 6, the city celebrates with several small, distinctly New Orleans parades.
The Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc celebrates the birthday of Joan of Arc with a medieval-themed walking parade through the French Quarter. There are costumes, horses, and plenty of pageantry.
The Phunny Phorty Phellows board a St. Charles Avenue streetcar for their annual Twelfth Night ride. They've been celebrating the beginning of Carnival this way for decades. The Funky Uptown Krewe also takes to the streetcar tracks for its own celebration.
These aren't the enormous float parades that come later. They're neighborhood celebrations, full of local character, and a good introduction to the peculiar traditions of New Orleans Carnival.
King Cake Season Begins
January 6 is also the traditional beginning of king cake season in New Orleans.
King cakes are everywhere from Epiphany until Mardi Gras Day. Every bakery has its own version, and everyone has an opinion about which is best.
There's a little plastic baby hidden inside each cake. Whoever gets the baby is traditionally responsible for bringing the next king cake. That's how the season keeps going.
You don't have to understand every New Orleans tradition to enjoy one. A slice of king cake is a good place to start.
A Different Kind of Mardi Gras Visit
Epiphany is a good time to visit New Orleans if you're curious about Carnival but aren't interested in the enormous crowds that arrive closer to Mardi Gras Day.
The weather is usually cool, the city is settling back into its ordinary routines after Christmas, and Carnival is just beginning to make itself felt.
At La Belle Esplanade, our five-suite boutique hotel on Esplanade Avenue, we enjoy introducing guests to the New Orleans that exists beyond the French Quarter. Twelfth Night is one of those occasions when the city's traditions are on display without all the commotion of the final Mardi Gras weekend.
Mardi Gras 2027 is Tuesday, February 9, but the fun starts January 6.
Happy Carnival!