Mardi Gras Beads
 Mardi Gras Dollar Sign Beads Sale Price: $2.95  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionSurprise them with Beads like They've Never Seen! These Dollar Sign Beads are an attractive addition to any party and priced to keep your check book as happy as your guests. A dozen bead necklaces per package...  |
 Mardi Gras Shot Glass Beads Sale Price: $0.98 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionWhat Could be More Funs Bring together two party necessities the throw bead and the shot glass with the Mardi Gras bead that is sure to be an exciting conversation piece. 33" from clasp to clasp with 7 1/2mm beads... |
 Amanda Pearl "Graduated Lucite Balls" on Ivory Orangza Lei Necklace List Price: Sale Price: $90.41 You save: $157.59 (64%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionIt's pretty clear that every collection needs a little lift and a subtle boost of hidden design. The Amanda Pearl "Graduated Lucite Balls" on Ivory Organza Lei Necklace introduces something different to your ensemble... |
 Beads w/Pirate Coin Medallion Sale Price: $1.71 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days DescriptionBeads w/Pirate Coin Medallion. Size:36"". 1 per card." Please note: If there is a color/size/type option, the option closest to the image will be shipped (Or you may receive a random color/size/type). |
 Voodoo Doll Zombies Beads Revenge Necklace Wealth Money Prayer Sale Price: $4.95 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionAuthentic New Orleans Premier Mardi Gras Specialty Beads |
 NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Team Medallion, Mini-Helmet and Mardi-Gras Bead Set List Price: Sale Price: $11.24 You save: $8.75 (44%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionNFL Pittsburgh Steelers Team Medallion, Mini-Helmet and Mardi-Gras Bead Set |
 Kenneth Jay Lane Clear Bubble Bead 17" Necklace Sale Price: $75.00 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionInnovative, gifted and imaginative, Kenneth Jay Lane's fabulous costume jewelry is always made in the USA. The designer's creations are inspired with the everyday woman in mind. |
 Tiki Mardi Gras Beads Sale Price: $2.95 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours DescriptionSurprise them with Beads Like They've Never Seen These Tiki Beads are an attractive addition to any tropical party and priced to keep your check book as happy as your luau guests. 30" from clasp to clasp with 8mm beads, and 3" tall and 1" wide, tiki dangle pendant... |
 French Connection "Opium" Black Bobble Bead Choker Necklace List Price: Sale Price: $23.72 You save: $26.28 (53%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours |
 Glow In The Dark Bead Necklaces (1 dz) Sale Price: $4.99 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days DescriptionGet ready to party New Orleans style with these Glow in the Dark Beads. Place these around people neck during Mardis Gras, Halloween or New Years for some fun. |
Mardi Gras Beads
Mobiles Mardi Gras is Oldest in the US
Today when people think of Mardi Gras celebrations, they often think of New Orleans. However, true Mardi Gras, and the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S., takes place in none other than Mobile, Alabama.
The first recorded Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile was in 1703, but the partying began in earnest in 1830 when a group of revelers paraded through the streets with rakes and cowbells. During the Civil War, the celebration stopped as citizens dealt with the aftermath of the bloody war. Luckily, in 1866, one man, Joseph Stillwell Cain, set out to rebirth the tradition, and Mobile’s Mardi Gras has been carrying on ever since.
In the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras Day, Mobile sees its biggest event of the year with parades, floats, costumes and general carnival fun. In fact, parades abound in many areas of the city sponsored by a multitude of groups, including Pharaoh’s Mystic Society, the Order of the Polka Dots, Neptune’s Daughters, and the Conde Cavaliers. Parade onlookers are excited to see the elaborate, colorful costumes of carnival while waiting anxiously to catch the candy, moon pies, and Mardi Gras beads thrown from the floats. Mobile’s Mardi Gras parades are truly like no other, and parade aficionados of all ages will not be disappointed.
“Moonpies?” you ask? Yes, moonpies. These delicious treats are the official food of Mobile’s Mardi Gras, and in Mobile you’re as likely to catch a moonpie as a beaded necklace. 2009 even saw an entire float created to resemble the famous snack.
As is traditional in Mardi Gras season, specifically on Fat Tuesday, festival participants enjoy a variety of delicious, guilty foods and drinks. The most popular of these is the King cake. Contemporary king cakes are coffee cakes frosted with sugar icing and then dusted with green, purple, and yellow sugar. King cakes feature a tiny trinket inside, usually a baby symbolic of Baby Jesus, and the person who gets the prize has certain obligations for the next year, such as purchasing the next King cake. King cakes, moon pies, and other carnival foods make Mobile’s Mardi Gras a delicious party.
If you’re thinking of visiting Mobile for the Mardi Gras celebration, you have some flexibility for your vacation. Parades and other activities usually begin in mid-January and end on Fat Tuesday, giving you several weeks to make your trip. One thing is certain, Mobile’s Mardi Gras is certainly the place to “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez” – Let the Good Times Roll!
About the Author
Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at Toomey's Mardi Gras. He writes about Mardi Gras Beads and other industry specific topics.
Mardi Gras Beads
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