WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Letter of the Law: The Reptiles and Rules of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana

Episode Date: February 10, 2024

Host Megan Pidcock outlines some of the wacky laws that govern Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana in the lead up to Fat Tuesday itself. 

Court is in session with Letter of the Law on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. The time of Lent is looming ever closer, but closer still is Fat Tuesday, which is perhaps more commonly known as Mardi Gras. New Orleans, Louisiana is famous for its lavish and exciting parades in revelry to celebrate before Ash Wednesday. Paired with this fun, however, are many laws ensuring as much as they can that no one gets hurt. One such weird law is that there are no reptiles allowed within 200 yards of parade routes. I can only imagine what happened to spark this intriguing arrangement, seeing as alligators and snakes are extremely common in Louisiana. It only takes one bad experience to ruin it for the rest of us.

Marty Grah itself has a long history of being celebrated in New Orleans. The carnival season starts earlier every year on Epiphany following the Christian Advent season on January 6th, and then goes until the last Tuesday before the start of the Lenton season, which includes fasting. Marty Grau has been openly celebrated in New Orleans since the 1730s, and in the years following, it transforms from high society balls in the 1740s to the first processions of parades with the king and queen of Mardi Gras and the throwing of beads and other items in the early and mid-1800s. Their tradition of throwing items from floats continues into today, though this also has some

regulations. No reptiles or animals are allowed to be thrown from the floats, dead or alive. Beads, stuffed animals, and other trinkets are traditionally the most common, though, quote, bombed bags, unquote, which are bag stuffed with said trinkets, are not allowed to be thrown. own for safety reasons. Plastic spears or flowers with wired stems are also outlawed, as are throwbacks, which is when someone in the crowd tries to throw something to someone in the parade. The most common punishments for violating these rules are fines, though there are certainly instances when that punishment could escalate. I hope you enjoy your Fat Tuesday safely, whether that being the thick of it in New Orleans itself or by indulging just a bit more

on the dessert than usual. This has been Megan Pitcock on Letter of the Law, and you're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.