THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER!

Mardi Gras wraps up with grand-finale parades

By ROBIN FITZGERALD and ANITA LEE

SUN HERALD

JAMES EDWARD BATES/SUN HERALD

Beads cover the crowd during the St. Paul Carnival Association Parade in Pass Christian.

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The Fat Tuesday countdown is ticking as thousands of revelers across South Mississippi prepare to line downtown streets for the grand-finale parades of Mardi Gras 2007.

The region's second Carnival season since Hurricane Katrina wraps up today with parades that roll at 1 p.m. in Biloxi and Bay St. Louis and at 5:30 p.m. in Gulfport. Revelers can expect mild temperatures and only a chance of rain. And if hotel reservations hold true, crowds will include a large number of out-of-towners.

"We've been pleasantly surprised since Friday with an increase in hotel reservations," said Linda Hornsby, executive director of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association.

It's Mardi Gras time down here, a time for family fun. Yesterday Pascagoula had their parade and due to a prior commitment, I didn't go. There were thousands of people lining the streets of our small town. They weren't just the citizens of our area. One must understand the close proximity that all the coastal towns have to one another. We attend all of the parades in each city. We are not practicing debauchery as many people think and sometimes voice aloud. Mardi Gras has religious connotations also. The solemn season of Lent begins the day after "Fat Tuesday". It will last for 40 days and nights consisting of fasting, prayers and good works. A contemplation of the Lord's passion and death.


The pictures shown are my collection of "throws". One of my daughters was involved and had the privilege to ride on the floats. She was required to buy her own beads as all were and she always managed to have some left to present to me. Mardi Gras is part of our heritage on the coast. As a young girl I spent most of my time in Mobile, AL at Mardi Gras. They were the originators of the festivity. As with most things, something that is good can be given a bad name by the ones that are intent on doing so. It has gotten very bad in some of the larger cities over the passing years but in our small cities, it is still Mardi Gras! I put a link to an old Louis Armstrong rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" as some of the songs now are unbelievable.

I have documented Mardi Gras 2007 and have shown you beads that many people would have lost to Katrina. ... Mardi is french for Tuesday and Gras is french for Fat. So with that I wish you Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!!