There’s an indiscriminate, irrepressible urge that comes over a person during a Mardi Gras parade. It causes anyone that succumbs to it to lose all control, knocking down women and children in the way without hesitation. The condition I’m referring to is bead lust. A typical sufferer of bead lust is all around. It could be the lady in the grocery store checkout line, your neighbor, maybe even you yourself. And with all the new flashy gadgets, Carnival souvenirs and custom beads we New Orleanians call Mardi Gras throws, bead lust is worse than ever. This is one addiction that’s better to just give into than to fight, and if you’ve never caught the fever before, these top specialty throws of Mardi Gras will certainly be the culprits.
1. ZULU Coconut – Perhaps the most coveted of all Mardi Gras throws, the ZULU Coconut is more than a golden, decorative tropical keepsake. It’s a symbol of the sacred Mardi Gras institution, of the ZULU Warriors and of the glory that comes with being the chosen one. Because somewhere down the line, someone probably was given a concussion from this Mardi Gras treasure, now the coconuts are distributed by krewe members passing them out instead of throwing them into the crowd.
The queen of all throws: The Muses Shoe (Photo courtesy of www.kreweofmuses.org)
2. Muses Shoe – Like the ZULU Coconut, a Muses Shoe is a sign of triumph, a bragging right and definitely a mantel piece. The shoes given out by the lovely ladies of Muses, or the daughters of Zeus incarnate, are limited in quantity. Maintain eye contact and enthusiasm and turn on the charm and you could be one of the lucky recipients of the Muses Shoe this year. Some creative strategies that could work to your advantage are making hand-crafted signs and dressing in Muses-friendly attire. Read: girly and glittery chic.
3. Krewe d’Etat Flashing Skeleton – Le Krewe d’Etat is the preeminent distributor of unprecedented high tech Mardi Gras throws, leading the pack with the flashing skeleton bead. Since the inception of the formidable glow-in-the-dark skull with flashing green eyes, other krewes have followed suit, throwing out flashing neon miniature replicas of their own. Look for this special throw when you’re at Krewe d’Etat, one of our favorite satirical Mardi Gras parades.
4. Doubloons – Don’t discount those shiny gold, silver or multi-colored coins tossed out into the crowd as an insignificant throw of Carnival. Mardi Gras doubloons are collector’s items; some are even valuable and have a long and rich history. Doubloons made their Mardi Gras debut in the Rex parade in 1960, so a Rex doubloon is among, if not the most, sought after, including the Bacchus doubloon, some this year featuring His Highness Will Ferrell’s head.
5. Cups – While Mardi Gras cups may not be as esteemed or glamorous as the other contenders on this list, they continue to be a favorite parade throw. Not only are they personalized with the krewe’s logo or the particular parade theme, they are functional as well as sentimental mementos. Word to the wise: Mardi Gras cups are convenient as real-time parade route beverage containers.
What is your favorite Mardi Gras throw? Tell us in the comments!
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