It's Fat Tuesday, Yall!

Happy Mardi  Gras!!!

Ok, yall it's the last day of one of my favorite holidays.  Yes, Mardi Gras is a holiday, well down here in South Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans it is!
It truly is one of the best holidays ever! 

I know many of you have only heard the negative aspects of Mardi Gras. (The news is always reporting the negative) It is true, the traffic is horrible, parking for parades can be a beast, you sometimes have to walk forever from your car to the parade route, there are drunk people, sometimes a shooting (yet I have never seen or heard one - and I have been going to Mardi Gras since I was little!!), "there ain't no place to pee on Mardi Gras Day" - sang by Benny Grunch -  bathrooms are hard to come by at times, and yes when you go to the French Quarter you do see exposed body parts at times.

However, there are many positives to the Mardi Gras season...

first, Mardi Gras can be family friendly!  You have to know where to watch the parades and you just don't go down to the French Quarter.   Where I like to go for parades, if very family friendly...lots of them gathered together to watch the parades.  Little kids are put into boxes on top of ladders so they can see better and be seen better by those on the floats!

Ladder seats for kids!

Also, this year I was able to get in some cousin bonding time with my two little cousins Sofia (the blonde) and Anna (the brunette).  They are 14 and 16 and were super stoked to be able to go to parades with me!  Also, Sof told me her friends were jealous that she got to go with her cool older cousin and not her parents.  :) 

Sof, Anna and I waiting for the Krewe of  Troth to begin

Another awesome thing about Mardi Gras is ... Parades!!!  The floats are spectacularly decorated (each Krewe has a different theme for the year...Throth was 'Throth goes to college', each float was a different subject; Bacchus had a wonderful theme 'Bacchus salutes WWII Veterans' - each float was a different branch of the military or a different war effort... one float had war vets on it!).  The floats in the night parades are all lit up, you have gotta love a little glitter and sparkle in life! 

Oh and when the floats are passing you have to stick your hands in the air and yell 'THROW ME SOMTHIN MISTER'  and grab for the flying plastic bead necklaces, plastic go cups (cups you can put your drink in so you can take it to go), and whatever things for flying through the air

Throw Me Somethin Mister!!!!

Gotta get those hands up!

Some of my loot!

Many people love to dress up in costume and others get creative with their transportation

This was a marching group..I forget their name...but look how fun!

Transforming a wagon into a famous New Orleans street car...way to travel in style!

These guys start the Endymion parade!

How could I forget the costumes that the king, queens, dukes, maids, and riders wear??  The royalty of the parades are decked out is fabulousness!

A Duke in Bacchus

King of Endymion waves Happy Mardi Gras to all!

All riders wear mask to hide their identity ... a Mardi Gras tradition!

Oh how can one forget the celebrities that ride in the big parades!

This year in Endymion...Kelly Rippa, Mark Consuelos and Anderson Cooper!

The marching bands are always a treat to watch!

Marine Corps Band! 

How can one forget the flambeau?  (pronounced flam bo)

These guys carry the flambeaus with real fire and people throw change at them...or if they are nice they hand the money to them...one family next to us gave all the guys a black and mild cigar!  That is one I haven't seen before!

There are other great things about Mardi Gras - for kids on the coast and the New Orleans area, you get days off school (some places get the whole week off!), Mardi Gras balls, parties, KING CAKE!, the music,  the traditions that go along with it, the food, the gathering of family and friends for a day of fun, the debate of whether you are a sidewalk side or neutral ground side person (this is where you watch the parades from -- I personally am a sidewalk side girl).  

So as you can see from my pictures of this years Mardi Gras celebration, it really is a fun and exciting time!  And my offer stands, if you have never been, come down next year and see me, we will have a BLAST!!!   Jackomo fe no nan e'! 

So until next year, Laissez les bons temps rouler!