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Laissez les bon temps roulez! 8) :hi:
I wish I was down there…. last year was a blast! 🙂 I’ve been wearing some of the beads I got last year to work the last few days!
I think I may epically fail for not knowing this, but what’s Mardi Gras? I’ve heard that term tossed around and such, and something about beads, but that’s about it………… 🙄
Mardi Gras is a huge celebration held each year around the world but the most famous is the one in New Orleans. Basically it’s come down to a big week to drink and party, and for some ladies, to flash their breasts in exchange for bead necklaces. You can find out more here:
Jasmine wrote:Mardi Gras is a huge celebration held each year around the world but the most famous is the one in New Orleans. Basically it’s come down to a big week to drink and party, and for some ladies, to flash their breasts in exchange for bead necklaces. You can find out more here:
Mardi Gras (the day) takes place on Shrove Tuesday (also called Fat Tuesday). It’s the last day to use up all those ingredients like lard and final celebrations before giving up such things for the Lenten season, which begins the next day with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter. The Mardi Gras season actually starts as much as several weeks before, with parades in major cities starting as much as two weeks before.
The first ‘Mardi Gras’ in the US was actually founded in Mobile, Alabama, predating the New Orleans celebration by only a year or few (a former boss’ wife was from there!).
Worldwide, there is Carnival (or Carnivale), with huge celebrations in Brazil, the Caribbean, and France has a good sized celebration in Nice. 🙂
Actually, Mardi Gras/Carnivale can be very family friendly. 🙂 I went last year and spent it in Houma, LA (the largest Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana, outside of New Orleans) with Keschete and her husband and had a blast. I had more beads and throws than I could take home in my luggage! 😮 Kaya had to mail the rest home to me (it was a little over 30 pounds!). They throw plastic mugs, toys, moon pies, stuffed toy – some being HUGE, dubloons (not as common and pretty sought after), and medallions (hard to get!… Kaya and I managed to each get one last year! Whoo hoo!), even Zulu coconuts (the hardest throw to get – it’s only from the Zulu krewe in New Orleans… an all black group that host the first parade Mardi Gras morning… they just celebrated their 100th anniversary this year…, and they aren’t allowed to throw them to you anymore, for obvious reasons! They are handed to you, if you are lucky enough to get one! They are as they say… coconuts all painted and decorated.). Yes, there is a lot of drinking, but you are never required to drink to have a good time (though the daquiri drive-thru, yes, drive-thru, nearby was a nice stop before the parade!), but I was never drunk. I can also honestly say that I did not ear a single throw by showing any skin. I did earn one necklace from a dancer by dancing with him as the parade was going by and I had someone give me a VERY nice, intertwined set of beads with a mask woven in (it’s pretty heavy with all the strands of beads!). The guy found out I was far from home and came down to the event for my first Mardi Gras and gave it to me. I think I would have been arrested if I tried to show my boobs in Houma! New Orleans is a different story though. It’s not allowed, but it depends on if the cop sees you and cares enough to say anything (some don’t care, some it depends on their mood or whim, some don’t go for it… it all depends :shrug:). New Orleans also puts up barricades along their parade routes and people sit up on ladders (to catch more throws!), but it blocks the view of anyone behind. You don’t have that in Houma or the smaller places. You can walk right up to the floats! 🙂 After going last year, I have to say I HIGHLY recommend everyone should experience Mardi Gras or Carnivale at least once in their life. I couldn’t go this year (saving up and paying off bills and things, plus didn’t really have the time), but I’m hoping to go again in 2010 or 2011 (or both :D). It was one of the best trips I’ve been on! 😀 I’m sure Kaya could add more, since she’s lived down there for a number of years. I’ll have to see if I can find the old thread from when I went last year. Kaya and I both posted pictures :).
It sounds like fun (although I certainly can’t afford to go, maybe in a few years when I have a job)! Thanks y’all!
Here is the thread from last year when I visited Kaya. 🙂 Her friend Julie is who we got the medallions from (posted in one of the pictures on the second page with the little copper crawfish I bought at a local museum… it was just too cute to pass up!).
http://www.windstoneeditions.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6274&hilit=mardi+gras
You should definitely go some day. Also, the food is awesome! Real Cajun food = YUM. The stuff they call Cajun in restaurants up here in the north (unless you have someone trained or raised in Cajun country) just isn’t it. It’s not supposed to be so hot you burn your mouth off. It can be spicey, but to be flavorful. My dad visited New Orleans before the hurricane and misses the food as well. I’m sad I can’t find crawfish up here in northern NY. A bit of work to eat, but worth it!
Hehe… I feel like a promoter. 😳
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