[Dixielandjazz] Re: Mardi Gras History

[Stephen Barbone]

> david richoux <tubaman at batnet.com> wrote
>
> Hi all,
>
> I was researching If Ever I Cease to Love  for my radio program and
> came across this article:
>
> http://publications.neworleans.com/no_magazine/35.5.44-=20
> REDISCOVERINGMARDI.html
>
> I think Steve Barbone would be most interested in the Philadelphia to
> Mobil to New Orleans connection in the history of this event, but all
> of you will learn a bit more about the culture, commercialization and
> other historical aspects of mardi gras - it is not just all about "show me your
> beads!"

Well, maybe it is not just all about "show me your beads", but:

"Super-krewes such as Bacchus, Endymion, and Orpheus, scheduled for the three days
before Fat Tuesday, feature a combined total of 110 floats, 90 marching bands, and
more than 350 units. Their collective 3,500 members toss more that 2 million cups, 3.5
million doubloons and 350,000 gross of beads. They also annually invite guest
celebrities to ride in their parades. Some of the more popular stars to have appeared
are Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, Wayne Newton, John Goodman, Jackie Gleason, Dennis Quaid,
Kirk Douglas, Harry Connick, Jr. and the Beach Boys." (From Mardi Gras Web Site)

By my count, 350,000 gross of beads is a little over 50 million (50,000,000) bead
necklaces. Thrown to people along the parade route who scream, by tradition, "Hey
mister, throw me something". What they do to collect them if up to them, as stated in
the following from Mardi Gras web sites:

"The millions of colorful beaded necklaces thrown from floats are the most visible
symbols and souvenirs of Mardi Gras. In addition, millions of cups and toy coins known
as "doubloons" are decorated with krewe logos and thrown to parade-watchers. Some
"throws" are especially prized: only the luckiest folks manage to take home the
hand-decorated coconuts from the Krewe of Zulu."

"People do outrageous things to catch the most throws. Some dress as priests, hoping
the many Catholics on the floats will shower them with goodies. Others dress their
children in eye-catching costumes and seat them, holding baskets to catch the loot, on
ladders that tower over the crowds. Others give up on the costume ploy altogether,
finding that taking clothes off can be the quickest attention-getter."

I'm running now for my Mardi Gras gig at Sydney's Jazz Club in Rehoboth, Delaware.
Hope to see a little of everything for the beads we will throw. Let the good times
roll. ;-) VBG

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Not quite throwing 50,000,000 necklaces, but we will do our share. ;-) VBG