Staff Writer and Photographer

Throws, krewes, and King Cakes, oh my! It's Mardi Gras season in Louisiana and those who are not from there might not be very familiar with the Mardi Gras holiday and the lingo that surrounds it. Luckily, I happen to live in South Louisiana -- Mardi Gras country. Everyone, not just Louisianans, should have a little Mardi Gras in their life, so I'm going to explain a few things so that everyone else might experience the joy of Mardi Gras, too.

Each parade in New Orleans is directly linked to the krewe that organizes and finances it. Krewes have their own parades, their own royalty, and most of the time, their own established route that they ride every year. Krewe is the generic term for all carnival organizations and clubs in New Orleans. Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology are the sources for nearly half the krewe names. Some clubs are also named after the neighborhoods through which they travel, while others are named after historical figures or places. Clubs are chartered as non-profit entities and are financed by dues, by the sale of krewe-emblemed merchandise to its members, and by fund-raising projects. Most Mardi Gras krewes are also involved in charity work.

Throws are inexpensive souvenirs tossed from floats (since around 1871) by costumed and masked krewe members in response to the age old mantra, "Throw me something, mister!" These "throws" include doubloons, plastic cups (called 'go-cups' or 'geaux-cups') and necklaces (which, until the early 1900's, were hand-strung glass beads imported from Europe). Other popular throws are small stuffed animals, footballs, and artificial flowers. Then, there's possibly the most sought-after throw of all -- the Zulu coconut (an actual coconut emblazoned with the Zulu krewe's logo). These are not technically throws because they're not thrown from atop floats, but handed to a select few lucky parade-goers.

Doubloons are aluminum, coin-like objects bearing the krewe's insignia on one side and the parade's theme on the reverse. Doubloons were first introduced in 1960 and created by New Orleans artist H. Alvin Sharpe. Some variations on the traditional doubloons include wooden alternatives that advertise local cafes or coffee shops. These wooden versions can be redeemed at the cafes for a variety of small treats, including cups of gumbo and cafe au laits.

King Cakes are arguably the best part of Mardi Gras. This delectable culinary masterpiece is an oval, sugared cake with a tiny plastic baby doll hidden inside. The person who finds the doll is crowned "king" and is required to buy the next purple, green, and gold-striped cake. The King Cake season opens every year on King's Day, January 6. According to "Mardi Gras Guide" publisher Arthur Hardy, more than 750,000 King Cakes are eaten each year in New Orleans during carnival season, and thousands more are ordered from special bakeries and shipped to celebrants around the country. This year, my family and I are sending cakes to my little sister, who's away at college in Virginia. My only worry is not that some poor girl might choke on the plastic royalty, but that whoever finds the baby doll is probably going to have a difficult time in supplying the required cake, which will inevitably involve shipping and handling fees.

Purple, Green, and Gold are the official colors of Mardi Gras. During the Mardi Gras season in Louisiana, people will see these colors everywhere. Festive flags, garlands, even purple, green, and gold Christmas tree lights will litter neighborhoods and city blocks. These colors were chosen in 1872 by Rex, the King of Carnival (Carnival being the most proper name for Mardi Gras), and each color means something. Purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power.

So, on February 28th, if the last parade is rolling down Rue de Bourbon and party goers didn't catch the beads they wanted or the Zulu coconut they had their hearts set on, they just don't sweat it, cher! As we say in Louisiana, 'Laissez le bons temps roulez!' (Let the good times roll!) Besides, having been around for more than 300 years, Mardi Gras isn't going anywhere. There's always next year. Happy Mardi Gras!