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Mardi Gras is a celebration steeped in tradition and culture, one of America's biggest parties of the year. One of the most popular customs of Mardi Gras is the throwing of colorful beads from parade floats to the crowd on onlookers below, a tradition with an interesting history. The History Behind 5 of New Orleans’ Favorite Mardi Gras Traditions 5 minute read A person walks among beads during a parade on Feb. 17, 2017, in New Orleans. The throwing of trinkets to the crowds was started in the early 1870s by the Twelfth Night Revelers, and is a time-honored expectation for young and old alike. Read more. Plastic beads rose to popularity as recently as the 1960s. The first recorded bead “throw” occurred in the mid- to late-1800s. Then, however, krewes threw beads created with handmade glass from Czechoslovakia. These more delicate beads were supplanted by the plastic throws that now account for over $11.8 million in sales. By 1900, over 100,000 tourists traveled to New Orleans to participate in the celebration and to get some of their own Mardi Gras beads. Over the years, other Mardi Gras souvenirs have also been passed out to the crowds during the parades such as plastic cups, toys, Frisbees, figurines, and doubloons. ⌛ History of Mardi Gras Beads. Mardi Gras beads have a rich history in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter. The tradition of throwing Mardi Gras beads to spectators during the parade started in the early 1870s with an individual dressed as Santa Claus passing out gifts to spectators as he passed by. The publication of Redmon's book, Beads, Bodies, and Trash: Public Sex, Global Labor, and the Disposability of Mardi Gras, follows up on the documentary by providing an ethnographic analysis of the social harms, the pleasures, and the consequences of the toxicity that Mardi Gras beads produce. [51] From high-energy parades to colorful beads and masks, there are dozens of traditions involved in Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday. The holiday which is less than a week away, is just ahead of Known for its spectacular parades, floats, marching bands, throws, and King cake, Mardi Gras is the biggest celebration in New Orleans. The first recorded Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans took The 2025 Carnival Season -- marked by a weekslong pre-Lenten bash and complete with colorful parades, shimmery beads tossed from floats and streets lined with costumed revelers -- is reaching its conclusion on the Gulf Coast. Every year, as winter fades and spring approaches, the streets of New Orleans explode with color, music, and celebration. Mardi Gras, the grandest festival in Louisiana, is famous for its parades, beads, masked revelers, and deep cultural traditions. A brief history of Mardi Gras – find out how this tradition with beads started A look at Mardi Gras roots By Nick Hilden Updated February 5, 2024 In fact, Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, has a long history that predates the colonization of the U.S., and actually started in medieval Europe.In New Orleans, the celebration of Mardi Gras started Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. It's most famously celebrated with parades in New Orleans Mardi Gras throws are strings of beads, doubloons, cups, or other trinkets passed out or thrown from the floats for Mardi Gras celebrations, particularly in New Orleans, the Mobile, Alabama, and parades throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States, to spectators lining the streets. The "gaudy plastic jewelry, toys, and other mementos [are Putting the "mmm" in Mardi Gras The handing out of food along parade routes actually pre-dates modern Mardi Gras parades, to the rowdy processions of the 1930s, with masked paraders on foot The History of New Orleans Mardi Gras . Although the date of the first organized celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is debatable, the 1730 account of one Marc-Antoine Caillot (a young clerk sent to Louisiana by the French Company of the Indies) mentions a celebration with music and dance, mask-wearing and costumes—including cross-dressing. Mardi Gras masks are more than just festive accessories—they carry a rich history and cultural significance. Every detail, Mardi Gras color and design tells a story, and the artists who craft There are a wide variety of beads at Mardi Gras. Most krewes toss out Mardi Gras beads, and some krewes even have their own custom beads (in the colors of their krewe) to represent them. The more traditional Mardi Gras beads were in the colors of Mardi Gras. Each color of beads has its own meaning! Colors of Mardi Gras. The first Mardi Gras Glittering green beads fall from balconies, costumed crowds line parade routes, and jazz music fills the air—yep, you guessed it: Mardi Gras is here! Otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, this celebration draws scores of people to New Orleans every year for one big party.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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