The Tradition of Throwing Beads at Mardi Gras

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:42:37 +0100

When someone hear the word Mardi Gras, it means a big celebration with live music, vibrant floats parade on the streets and sparkling parties. This celebration is an immense holiday in New Orleans where everybody is filled with smiles on their faces, enjoying the carnival by socializing, drinking, wearing colorful attires and watching the entertaining displays. Certainly, people are expecting the famous colorful beads being thrown to the crowd during this festival. What does these beads means in Mardi Gras? Why it is being thrown during the celebration? Let’s take a look first on the history of Mardi Gras in the United States of America.

Beginning of Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Mardi Gras celebration was brought in Louisiana during 1699 by a French-Canadian voyager named “Pierre le Monye Sieur de Iberville.” He and his troops began to settle and developed the city of New Orleans which later on adapted Mardi Gras carnival that was being celebrated to their homeland in France. This is the main reason why the city has a great influence of French customs and traditions. The initial celebration of Mardi Gras happens on March 3, 1699 at the mouth of the Mississipi River. In 1700, the celebration started to have impressive parades and social merrymaking which were organized by krewes or an association responsible for the preparation of the carnival.

The day for Mardi Gras happens on the last day of festival season before Ash Wednesday. It has no specific date every year, at all times it is scheduled 46 days prior to Easter. The celebration is also referred as “Fat Tuesday” because all of the food should be consumed before the Lenten season to observe Catholic practices like fasting. A fasting means abstaining oneself from foods and some drinks in a specific period of time.

Presence of Beads

Beads are always part of the Mardi Gras festival that are being tossed to the crowd or can be seen haging on the trees and floats. Throwing of string beads began in 1880's which was initiated by the Rex krewe to add entertainment to parade onlookers. These beads are made of glass that was imported from Japan and Czechoslovakia. It was recorded that a man wearing Santa Claus attire was the first to throw beads, since then on it became a big trend and is continuously adopted in the yearly Mardi Gras celebration. The beads have its traditional three colors which are purple, gold and green. These colors symbolize justice, power and faith. However, nowadays beads come along with different vibrant colors and shapes which are now made of plastics or light materials that give lively and colorful displays throughout the merriment. Aside from the beads, there are also some popular goodies being thrown during the parade these are the doubloons, stuffed animals and plastic cups. Everyone are enjoying to jump up and reach through just to catch those fantastic trinkets as a souvenir from the festival.

Beads and Breast

In modern celebration of Mardi Gras, flashing of breast to have a grab of beads is quite famous in Bourbon Street, an area in the French Quarter and known for bunch of strip clubs. Most of the parade onlookers especially women are clamored to have the attention of the parade float rider to throw them colorful beads just by showing off their breast. Usually, people who are under the influence of alcohol are the ones who follow the tradition. Where this practice originated? The practice of showing off the breast was rooted way back with the Roman tradition in their Lupercalla festival. In this event, it was a tradition for high priest to toss animal skin to women for pregnancy purposes. Ladies out cried and demanded to have a portion of the animal skin. Just to draw the attention of the priest and toss them the skin, some women decided to show off their breast. Since then on, this practice has been adapted in the celebration until now. If this tradition was intended before for inducing fertility, it is now proposed for fun and a hint to men for some sexual pleasures. This kind of practice during Mardi Gras is not being followed in the whole city of New Orleans. The true celebration is intended for families to have a great time listening to music, picnics, watching parades, catching toys, doubloons and beads without showing off any private parts.

Mardi Gras festival gave rise to New Orleans financial system. During the celebration, it draws millions of travelers just to see the spectacular event. If you have a plan to attend in this fabulous festival, prepare ahead of time for a hotel reservation due to a number of tourists are expected to rise. Don't forget to catch tons of beads and trinkets for more meaningful celebration.

the-tradition-of-throwing-beads-at-mardi-gras

The Tradition of Throwing Beads at Mardi Gras