Photo of Mardi Gras float rolling down Dauphin Street in Mobile, Alabama.  The crowd along the street have their arms out-stretched like worshippers at a charismatic service.
Here you see a Mardi Gras float rolling
down Dauphin Street in Mobile. Note how
the members of the crowd all have their arms
out-stretched as if they were worshippers at
the Temple of Pleasure, Good Times and Parties.

A Mardi Gras Parade Float: "Laissez Les Bontemps Rouler, Bebe!"

Whether it is rolling down Bourbon Street in New Orleans or Dauphin Street in Mobile, a Mardi Gras parade float is an excellent symbol of the party attitude that is often described in Cajun French as "Laissez les bontemps rouler, bebe!" or in English as "Baby, let the good times roll!" To begin with, the float itself is a wild and boisterous costume party on wheels. Masked revelers dressed as pirates, Greek gods, animals, cartoon characters, Roman warriors, or some other fantastic disguise are riding on the float. These partiers are swaying and rocking to the thumping music of a band marching in front of the float, and -- of course -- they are throwing candy, plastic "doubloons," quarters, bead necklaces and other "favors" into the swarming crowds along the sidewalks and curbs. It is almost unnecessary to add that the guys on the floats are fueled by a lot of Jack Daniels, Smirnoff, and Cutty Sark. The reactions of the parade-watchers as the float rolls by also show that "the good times" are rolling. Those nearest to the float scream and wave their arms to attract the attention of the partiers on the float: "Hey! Throw some to me!" Then, when a couple of handfuls of candy and other stuff come flying off the float and scatter along the pavement, the crowd goes wild, scrambling on their hands and knees, grabbing and snatching at the cheap candy and trinkets. While it is possible that some of people in the crowd are fueled with a little alcohol, most of them are merely juiced up on the general carnival atmosphere that comes with Mardi Gras. Although there are also fancy dress balls, carnival rides, private parties, and a hundred other forms of amusement available during the Mardi Gras season, watching a parade of about a dozen floats is probably the best way to understand that Mardi Gras party attitude.

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