How long will Mardi Gras last in Louisiana in 2025?

There are Mardi Gras purists in New Orleans, Mamou, Kaplan, Lake Charles and Morgan City who are shaking their heads at this headline. For them, Carnival is a day. It’s 24 hours. By the way, we have another name for “purists” with such an attitude as we in Louisiana call “trou du cul.” Do not say this out loud in front of children or mixed groups who may know a few words of French.

But those of us who think of Mardi Gras as a season and a feeling know that the “length” of Mardi Gras is different every year. I bet you remember the conundrum we all faced on Shrove Tuesday last year, don’t you? Not you? See what alcohol can do to your brain?

Okay, in 2024, Carnival, the day and not the season, was celebrated on February 13th. Also known as the day before Valentine’s Day. I think the “Big Game” of the NFL was also involved. It messed up a lot of plans. It depends on who you are whether it messed up Mardi Gras or Valentine’s Day, but chances are good that one of these dates lost a bit of significance due to the proximity of the two dates. Because the Saints suck, the Super Bowl wasn’t a big deal for us in Louisiana.

Why does the carnival date change every year?

Carnival season, often called “king cake season” by us fat guys with blood sugar problems, lasts from January 6th until the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Since Lent is marked by Easter, which is marked by the first full moon after the spring equinox, we only had 40 days of “Carnival” in last year’s calendar.

There’s good news for night owls and king cake lovers in 2025. In the coming new year, the carnival season will begin as usual on January 6th. However, due to the phases of the moon and the spring equinox, we won’t reach Fat Tuesday until March 4th. That’s almost a whole month more carnival compared to 2024.

That means you should have a little extra time to attend a few more Mardi Gras Balls. We shouldn’t have a ton of parades parked on top of each other, even if people in Scott are already marking their spots along the route at this very moment. And perhaps the best news of all: It looks like crawfish season will be plentiful and cheaper.

How long is Carnival in Louisiana this year? How does 57 days sound? That should be more than enough time to enjoy a king cake, a crawfish dish, a costume ball, a parade, and a hangover without ever having to leave town.