The Origin of Mardi Gras Beads
Every year on the day before the Catholic Lenten season begins, thousands travel to New Orleans to celebrate Madri Gras, which literally translates to "Fat Tuesday" in French. Crowds fill the streets and clamor for trinkets thrown from passing floats. Mardi Gras beads remain the most popular trinket thrown at the festivities. They also have resulted in a booming bead-related industry.
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Origins of Mardi Gras
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Beads have not always been thrown at Mardi Gras. The first documented celebrations began in the 1800s as exclusive, invitation-only balls. In 1857 the tradition of parading through the streets began with men dressed as demons and calling themselves the Mistick Krewe of Comus.
Throwing Trinkets at the Crowds
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The tradition of throwing trinkets was begun in the 1870s by the Twelfth Night Revelers. Mardi Gras revelers stood in the streets of the parade shouting, “Throw me something, Mister.”
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Beads as Trinkets
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Beads were not thrown until the 1920s in the height of the flapper and Prohibition era. The beads were made of glass and imported from as far as Japan and Czechoslovakia. Today most beads are made of plastic molded onto string and imported from China.
Multimillion-Dollar Market
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Although inexpensive Chinese imports have caused beads that would have cost $70 20 years ago to sell for $21, the bead business is booming. According to Fred Berger, a Mardi Gras importer, the Mardi Gras trinket market has reached its multimillion-dollar mark. As of 2010, individual paraders spend an average of $800 on trinkets, with some spending as much as $2,500.
Popular Bead Colors
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The most common colors of beads at Mardi Gras are the official Mardi Gras colors: purple, gold and green. The School of Design parade first utilized the colors, and later these colors became associated with meaning: purple for justice, gold for power and green for faith.
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References
- Photo Credit beads image by Florence from Fotolia.com
