Mardi Gras Throws

Many of the homes in the Marigny and Bywater are decorated with Mardi Gras throws.The routes of two Mardi Gras parades wind their way through the Marigny--Krewe de Vieux and the Society of Saint Anne--so people here have no shortage of opportunities to collect throws. Here's a few photos I've collected while walking Roscoe around these neighborhoods.

Originally, the Krewes (social clubs that put on the different parades) threw gold coins to the parade goers. Clearly, this was not sustainable, so they switched to throwing strings of Czechoslavakian glass beads in the royal colors of purple, green, and gold.

The traditional phrase to get a throw from the floats was, "Throw me something, mister!"

At some point his it changed to Krewe members requesting female parade goers to "Show me your t**s!" And many women comply in order to get a cheap string of Chinese-made plastic beads.

While beads are the most well-known of the Mardi Gras throws, they are not the most treasured. The all female Krewe of Muses distributes decorated shoes. But the hand-painted coconuts from the Krewe of Zulu is the most sought after of all the throws (though the Krewe is barred from throwing the coconuts--they must be handed out).



A neighbor gave me these beads as they were clearing out boxes and boxes of Mardi Gras throws they had collected over the years. These beads represent the specific imagery of the different Krewes.

Some of the more recent throws include limited edition plush toys, fiber optic beads, and retro glass beads.

The city estimates that 25 million pounds of plastic beads are left on the streets during Mardi Gras. Most ends up in the landfill, though some groups are making efforts to recycle beads and other throws.

But recycling tons of plastic beads is tough in a city that just started curbside recycling in 2012. As one longtime resident told me, "People in New Orleans have trouble putting trash in the right place. How are they going to figure out a recycling bin?"

But reusing is even better than recycling, and as these pictures show, NOLA residents are creatively reusing beads to decorate gates, fences, and porches. Whole blogs are devoted to DIY projects using Mardi Gras beads.

One final note--never wear Mardi Gras throws after Fat Tuesday! But it's an easy way to separate tourists from locals.