Bikin Mardi Gras lokaci ne mai cike da tarihi na al’ada da ya hada da kade-kade da raye-raye, sai kuma kayan ado masu ban sha'awa, hade da abinci kala-kala da ababen sha.
Amma ga mutane da yawa kuma, lokaci ne na sadaukarwa don nuna bambancin al'adu, dalilin da ya sa ake kiran birnin "Crescent City."
Binta Suleiman Yero, ta sashen Hausa, ta taba ziyartar irin wannan biki har sau biyu, daya a Bahamas, daya kuma a Jamaica. Abu na farko da ya dauki hankalinta shine yadda ake baje kolin abinci kala-kala, a jerin bukuwan da suka hada mabanbantan al’adu.
L.J. Goldstein ya tuna yadda aka nuna mabanbantan al’adu a lokacin bikin Mardi Gras na farko a tsakiyar Fabrairun 1994. Bayan da ya koma birnin New Orleans kasa da shekara guda da ta gabata, ya yi yawo cikin cunkoson jama'a ya kuma yi karo da wani gungun ‘yan wata kungiyar da ake kira "Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club," babbar kungiyar bakaken fatar Amurka wadanda suka fi yawa a birnin.
Goldstein ya shaidawa Muryar Amurka cewa, "Akwai makada, kuma jama'a na ta kururuwa, har ma da daruruwan 'yan Afirka da suka yi fareti, yayin da suke sanye da bakin gashi da siket na ciyawa, dauke da mashi a hannayensu. Ban taba ganin irinsa ba!” a cewar Goldstein.
Bikin Mardi Gras, wanda a Faransanci yake nufin Babbar Talata, ya samo asali ne daga Kiristanci. Yana farawa ranar 6 ga watan Janairun kowacce shekara, rana ta 12 bayan bikin Kirsimeti, wadda aka fi sani da ‘Ranar Sarki’ a New Orleans, kuma ana kammala bikin ranar 'Ash Wednesday'.
An yi imanin cewa an fara bikin ne a cikin Amurka a cikin 1699 lokacin da Faransawa ke binciken yankin da su zauna, wanda yanzu ya zama wani bangare na jihar Louisiana.
Amma ya dauki fiye da shekaru 150 kafin birnin New Orleans ya fara cin moriyarsa a shekarar 1857.
Kuma ita ce shekarar da Mistick Krewe na Comus ya kirkiri faretin Mardi Gras na farko na birnin. Ko da yake New Orleans birni ne mafi rinjayen bakar fata, sai dai an kwashe tsawon shekaru kafin mazauna birnin bakaken fata su fara shiga bikin Mardi Gras, an hana su sanya abin rufe fuska da halartar taron.
