Canadian French explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville landed on the tip of what is now Louisiana in 1699, an area 60 miles south of the current New Orleans, which he named "Pointe due Mardi Gras." It was named that, as the landing occurred during the Catholic church's customary recognition of Fat Tuesday, an officially observed celebration for centuries throughout Europe. From there, Le Moyne founded Mobile in 1702, under the name "Fort Louis de la Louisiane."

Mobile's launch of organized Fat Tuesday parties was in 1703, when the Alabama town was only one year old. That is when the secret society Masque de la Mobile was formed. Boeuf Graf Society was formed in 1710, and they publicly paraded in recognition of pre-Lenten festivities from 1711 through 1861. These societies were the precursor to the New Orleans krewes and their society marches set the bar for New Orleans parades.

So the question becomes, was the intent for Mardi Gras to be recognized through naming of the Louisiana landing of 1699 (Pointe due Mardi Gras) the first public recognition of the "holiday," or was Mobile's first organized involvement of mass revelry in 1703 the birth of the American celebration?

Regardless of which stance one takes toward the actual birthplace of American Mardi Gras, it was not until 1718 that New Orleans was even established by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne. Alabama's celebrations were already 15 years old. So, whether one attributes the world-famous carnival to Mobile or the tip of Louisiana, it is apparent that New Orleans was not first.

What is even clearer is that Jean Baptiste Le Moyne was a man of Mardi Gras. Perhaps rather than debating, "which came first, Mobile or Louisiana's Fat Tuesday," we should collectively affirm that Jean Baptiste should be recognized as the Father of "les bons temps," the good times. It is very likely that he would be quite pleased about today's debate, as well as the verve with which New Orleans has seized the torches of celebration and marketing of pre-Lent. Whichever area he would attribute as its birthplace, Le Moyne would probably be quite impressed with New Orleans' worldwide recognition for the season he seemed to hold in high regard.