Mardi Gras, also referred to as Fat Tuesday, is New Orleans' biggest annual celebration, held each spring between Three Kings' Day and Ash Wednesday. Originally established in France as a Christian holiday, the celebration has become synonymous with New Orleans' French Quarter district, celebrated in the city since at least the early 18th century and officially declared a Louisiana state holiday in 1875. Today, the celebration encompasses multiple festive parades, masquerade balls, and other extravagant festivities over the course of several weeks, with most Carnival festivities centered on the city's Bourbon Street. Many restaurants and bars offer food and drink specials throughout the celebration, which more than doubles the city's population with tourism travel.