Mobile Area's own World's smallest Mardi Gras Reveler!

Princess Sugar Pie is dressed up in her Mardi Gras hat surrounded by Mardi Gras beads. She is is well known at Toomey's Mardi Gras store in Mobile and is considered to be Mobile Area's own Mardi Gras Cat. The Mobile Press Register did a story on her during the 2007 Mardi Gras season. She was dressed in, of course, her Mardi Gras hat for that feature article. Photo taken by me. LJB ============================================== Some facts about Mardi Gras! I have nothing against the people of New Orleans, Louisiana but they need to stop making people believe that Mardi Gras originated there. It all started at it's home in Mobile Alabama back in 1703, instead of New Orleans, which most people are lead to believe. The celebration was called "Beof Gras" in French, which means (Fat Beef). Mobile's official version of Mardi Gras started back again during New Year's Eve of 1830 by Michael Krafft. The Cowbellions were Mobile's first official mystic society. ============================================== On a different note for a moment, Moble was the first official capital of the Louisiana purchase's territory. However, that was only for a short time. Alot of it's population were French immigrants. Mobile celebrated it's 300th anniversary back in 2001 and it was quite a celebration with the "Tall Ships" arrival to the Port of Mobile. What a beautiful sight while they were sailing in. The U.S. Coast Guard's Tall Ship "Eagle" was the biggest star of the show. After I was piped aboard, I was able to tour parts of the "Eagle" that the general Public never get to see, since I was and still am a Merchant Marine Captain. Now back to Mobile's Mardi Gras History! ============================================== The Civil War brought the Mardi Gras celebrations to an end for a few years. However, Joe Cain started Mobile's Mardi Gras back up in 1866. Not long after that, some of Mobile's own mystic society members helped New Orleans start their own Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras can easily be determined by the date of Easter. Mardi Gras Day or, as as it is normally called, Fat Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras parades usually begin 10 days before Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras Day. Membership in most mystic society clubs can be fairly expensive. Mystic society members must, of course, pay their annual dues. Yet, this doesn't include the money that they may spend on their costumes and formal dress clothing for Mardi Gras formal dinners and ball's. Members also spend money for items that they throw to the Mardi Gras crowds of parade revelers. These items which are called "Throws" can be beads, moon pies, clothing such as hats or teeshirts, toys, candy, Mardi Gras style souvenirs and stuffed animals, to name a few. I have gathered over five gallons of Mardi Gras beads as well as numerous bags of stuffed animals during just one Mardi Gras season. One year, I went to every parade in Mobile except for three and boy that is alot or parades. My Cousin, Gene, or as we call him by his nickname, "Bunk", used to belong to one of Mobile's oldest Mystic society's, the "Knights Of Revelry" or "KOR". Note: I just wanted to set the record straight about Mardi Gras real home in Mobile. Mobile even has a Mardi Gras museum where you can learn more about the Mardi Gras celebration and it's history... Mother and I really enjoy celebrating Mardi Gras. That also goes for Sugar Pie too. We usually have a Christmas tree decorated in, what else, more Mardi Gras beads. Sugar Pie always helps us sort through all the bags of beads that we had gathered during many of the Mardi Gras Parades. There are so many parades during the celebration that it would be hard to see them all. Sugar Pie acts like a cat with a new toy, while we are sorting through all the Mardi Gras beads out on the floor. Now that is a real hoot to see. ============================================== Note: Now back to more about Princess Sugar Pie! ==============================================