Enjoy carnival like a native
If you’re going to hang out with New Orleans natives who grew up on Mardi Gras, there are a few things you need to know. Here are the top ten.
Number 10
How to spell “krewe.”
Number 9
Carnival is a season, carnival is a day.
Number 8
The colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold, and the official Mardi Gras song is “If Ever I Cease To Love.”
Number 7
The Captain of the Krewe is more important than the King.
Number 6
If you lose a doubloon thrown from a float, never bend over to pick it up. Always put your foot on it. If you go by hand, it’s too late or your fingers will be stepped on.
Number 5
If you bite a plastic baby on a King Cake, that’s good
Number 4
Beads less than two feet long are unacceptable unless they are made of glass.
Number 3
The national press has no idea about Mardi Gras.
Number 2
The vast majority of people in the French Quarter during Carnival are people from out of town.
Finally, the number 1 thing you should know about carnival is
You can always judge how bad the hurricane season has been by walking down St. Charles Avenue in late fall to see how many Mardi Gras beads are still hanging in the trees.
