Okay, chronologically this post is a bit out of order, but had I been more organized, I would have gotten this up sooner! Last month, Ben and I went to New Orleans for my cousin Michael's wedding. Coincidentally, it was also Mardi Gras weekend. Being that both my parents are from New Orleans, I've heard a lot about Mardi Gras, but I'd never been down there when it was happening. But this year, we were in luck. Now, when most people think of Mardi Gras, probably the first things that come to mind are mobs of people, utter chaos, lots of drinking, and flashing of certain private body parts in exchange for beads. While some of that does go on, those activities do not represent the majority of the festivities. There are lots of parades down many of the major streets, and each one has a name and a theme. We saw 3 parades: Babylon, Chaos, and Bacchus, all of which were family-friendly. Each parade has a king and a queen who ride at the front of the parade, and they are escorted by Dukes on horseback. Following them are a string of floats, and the people on the floats throw beads, coins, stadium cups, stuffed animals, and other such trinkets to the crowds below. High school marching bands and dance teams also march along behind the floats. I was excited that I finally got to experience some of Mardi Gras in its home city. The pic I have posted above is a fraction of loot that we brought home.
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