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Mardi Gras beads are plastic or polystone necklaces thrown at the annual Mardi Gras parades. They come in different colors, shapes, and sizes, with some having lockets or medallions. The official colors are purple, green, and gold, each representing justice, faith, and power. Other items like doubloons, cups, and trinkets are also thrown during the parade.
Mardi Gras beads are necklaces that are thrown into the crowd by participants in the annual Mardi Gras parades. Usually celebrated 47 days before Easter, Mardi Gras is known for parades, beading and king cake. People sometimes travel all over the world to participate in a Mardi Gras parade to catch the beads.
Typically, Mardi Gras beads and medallions are made from plastic or polystone. These beads come in different colors, shapes and sizes. Some Mardi Gras beads are 12 inches (30.5 cm) long while other necklaces hang down to a person’s waist. Pearls can be small or huge. Lockets commonly hang from the necklace as a piece of jewelry would; the medallions usually represent the krewe who is tossing the beads from the float.
While traditional beads have a jewel-like appearance, luminous beads are also popular. Light-up necklaces come in many styles, but two popular styles include necklaces where each individual bead lights up and others where the locket lights up. Each time the Mardi Gras beads light up, each bead can represent something different: local sports teams, logos, and New Orleans heritage references.
As early as the early 1880s beads were being thrown in parades. A man dressed as Santa Claus rides a wagon and throws glass beads. In 1900 the official throw of Mardi Gras was beads. Due to the cost of glass beads, plastic beads quickly replaced them for use in parades.
Purple, green, and gold are the official colors of Mardi Gras beads. Each color has a meaning: purple stands for justice, green means faith, and gold means power. While these are the most popular colors for Mardi Gras beads, other colors of necklaces are often thrown at the parades.
The parades consist of floats decorated with different “krewe”. Members of the krewe ride in floats and throw various objects at people watching the parade. People traditionally shout “Throw me something, sir” and receive a bead or trinket in return. Beads aren’t the only things thrown at the Mardi Gras parades; cups, doubloons and other small toys can also be thrown.
Doubloons are coins that can be made of metal or wood. These coins are usually the size of a silver dollar. Different krewe colors and emblems are used to distinguish the krewe that is rolling a certain doubloon. In some cases a doubloon is attached to a Mardi Gras bead. Cups, like doubloons, may also bear a krewe emblem. Each cup holds approximately 10 ounces (283.5 grams).
The trinkets consist of anything else that can be thrown in a Mardi Gras parade. Candy, stuffed animals, Frisbees®, and T-shirts usually bearing the emblem of the donor krewe are launched. Other items that can be thrown during the parade include whistles, balls, roses, and coupons for local giveaways.
