Pass Christian Mardi Gras Parade

We had such a fabulous day at the Pass Parade today. Whoot. What a way to celebrate Mardi Gras. Each year, each town across the Mississippi Gulf Coast has their own parade, but our family and friends tend to congregate at the Pass Christian parade every year. It all started years ago as a get together because a distant relative of my sister used to live on the parade route so we had access to a bathroom and a kitchen to serve food. But Hurricane Katrina took her relative's house and then he passed away a few years after that, so now we 'tailgate' by enjoying good food, beverage and fun. I was unable to attend last year due to chemotherapy weakening me so much. This year I wanted to go so bad. We always have loads of fun and this year was no exception. My brother-in-law fried wings while his brother fried everything else from corn dogs to chicken tenders. We also feasted on sausage balls, pasta salads, chips/dip, brownies, nestle toll house bars and chicken salad croussants. I said I wasn't going to drink, but Jeaneen, my sister, brought a batch of Mango Tangos so I had to have some. :) Something new we did this time, was rent a Port-a-Potty. You should of seen people looking at us when we were driving along hwy 90, towing this thing. It turned out to be the best decision: our own CLEAN private bathroom. What a blessing. Several people even offered us money to use our toilet. :) This year's Pass Parade-local term for the city of Pass Christian, MS' parade-consisted of 65 floats & one marching band. In a few of the parade picture's you can pick out vacant beach front property that hasn't been rebuilt since Hurricane Katrina. In fact, that's where we set up camp today, in an empty grass lot where a house used to stand.

So, you might be wondering what the heck Mardi Gras is. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It refers to events of the carnival celebration ending on the day before Ash Wednesday, before the lent season, but it is not observed nationally throughout the US. It arrived in North America as a sedate French Catholic tradition in the late 17th Century with the Le Moyne brothers, who were sent by King Louis XIV to defend France's claim on the Louisiana Territory, which is present day Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1703 Mardi Gras began with French settlers.

Here are a few pictures of today's festivities:

You can find more picture at my facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1108624493&ref=profile

or on myspace: www.myspace.com/debbiemacklin

Happy Mardi Gras ya'll,

Deb