What do Mardi Gras Colors Symbolize?
Mardi Gras, a yearly celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana, attracts visitors from all over the world. Floats hover down Bourbon Street filled with masqueraded people wearing brightly colored costumes. Translated from French as "Fat Tuesday," Mardi Gras is a tradition that dates back to the early 19th century. Mardi Gras consists of many rituals and rites, which includes special Mardi Gras colors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Brief Mardi Gras History
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The first floats started in the 1830s. Forty years later, Mardi Gras established the "Rex" (King) tradition. The First Rex, the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, chose the royal colors of purple, green and gold. He also decreed that "If I Ever Cease to Love" will be his theme song, and it has since grown into the Mardi Gras' anthem. Fifty years after the first Rex was chosen, krewes, or float teams, started throwing beads and other various objects at the spectators. The most important objects thrown are the doubloons. Their popularity quickly soared after H. Alvin Sharp created plastic doubloons in the 1960s.
Colors and Their Meanings
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Abbreviated PGG, the three colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. Although a metallic hue of each color is preferred, other tints are not banned. Established by the first Rex in 1872, the colors symbolize justice, faith and power, respectively. It is a mystery why the Grand Duke Alexis chose these colors. Some speculate that he chose purple and gold to showcase his royalty.
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Use of Beads and Doubloons
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To retrieve a souvenir from the floats, spectators plead, "Throw me something, mister." No nude body parts need to be shown in order to get something from the floats, but this may not be the case in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Each krewe tries to outdo the other by being more creative with what it tosses at the spectators. For example, recent krewes have started throwing Frisbees and cups.
When Mardi Gras Occurs
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The first parade starts on the Twelfth Night, or 12 days after Christmas. After January 6th, the parades continue for several weeks until its culmination in the final Mardi Gras Parade. Although the precise date changes from year to year, Mardi Gras always occurs 46 days before Easter.
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References
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