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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. 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 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. Mardi Gras beads meaning. One of the most common parade throws are Mardi Gras beads. A krewe called the Rex Organization introduced these beaded necklaces in 1921. When they were first introduced, the beads were made of glass and hand knotted on necklaces. Though they began as glass, most of the Mardi Gras beads you see thrown today are made of The History of Mardi Gras Beads. The tradition of throwing beaded necklaces dates back to the early Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans in the late 1800s. At first, the beads were made of glass and were much fancier and elaborate than the plastic beads used today. 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. History Of Mardi Gras Beads. Rex and a few other members of the Kappa Rhoads began passing out beads, also known as throws, to parade watchers in the 1920s, and it wasn’t until the 1960s that the beads became popular. As a result of the original beads used in Mardi Gras, glass beads were developed. The tradition of throwing beads at Mardi Gras started in the early 1900s, and it was initially just small glass beads. However, the practice really took off in the 1960s, when plastic beads became more widely available, and the size and variety of beads increased. The meaning behind Mardi Gras beads is steeped in symbolism. The true meaning of the famous Mardi Gras beads begins with their traditional colors, which we also owe to the Russian Grand Duke Alexis. During his visit in 1872, the newly founded Krewe of Rex 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. The History of Mardi Gras Beads Mardi Gras beads have their roots in the medieval European tradition of throwing flowers and other decorations during Carnival celebrations. When French explorers arrived in New Orleans in the 18th century, they brought this tradition with them, adapting it to the local culture. A brief history of Mardi Gras – find out how this tradition with beads started put on some wild Mardi Gras outfits, and throw beads at people in an attempt to see some public nudity. Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Other lasting customs include throwing beads and other 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 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. 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. 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 Mardi Gras is an annual pre-Lent celebration and New Orleans tradition. The idea was to toss the color to the person who exhibited the color’s meaning. Beads are a good time and can really Originally a religious holiday, Mardi Gras has developed numerous traditions and turned into a celebration for the masses, not just the devout. The currency of Mardi Gras is the lovely beads. The first Mardi Gras celebrations were held in France, to close the week of Carnival. Carnival has ancient origins.
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