A serious hazard of watching the parade is the flying beads thrown by float riders. Poor Ellie here was the victim of a hit and run, well hit and ride. Can you see the bead welts? Poor baby.
Kevin and David Hulbert made it their mission to collect Moon Pies from the float riders for dear Coleen Hulbert. So they made this fabulous sign taunting the riders, who totally took the bait and pummeled piles of Moon Pies at them.
Yeesss! Coleen enjoys the fruits of their labor.
We saw Bambi, a good friend from Motivatit, riding on a float. She loaded Elle with loot - beads, toys, stuffed animals, etc.
Ahhh, the spoils of war, or in this case Mardi Gras.
Another Mardi Gras come and gone.
The History of Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras came to
New Orleans through its French heritage in 1699. Early explorers celebrated this French Holiday on the banks of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years, Orleanians have added to the celebration by establishing krewes (organizations) which host parades and balls. Carnival quickly became an exciting holiday for both children and adults.
Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and of course is celebrated on that day of the week. The date can fall between February 3 and March 9 depending on the Lunar calendar, used by the Catholic Church to determine the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before
Easter Sunday.
The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors were chosen in 1872 by the King of Carnival, Rex. He chose these colors to stand for the following:
Purple represents justice
green stands for faith
gold stands for power
The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.
Unlce Greg, Dave Hulbert and Kev showing off their manhood in a variety of ways.
Aunt Jenn (and baby cousin ?), cousin Scottie, Bo, Jeanette, Kev and Unlce Greg. I got to stay home for this one as I severely sprained my ankle about 2 hours before the race. Yippee!! These guys are troopers though. It was SO hot. And raining - at least over Greg. lol, jk.
