Beads of Mardi Gras

In class today, we discussed how the tradition of throwing beads was born. With some research I found this article, which not only says who and when started this tradition (Rex, when they threw handmade glass beads in the 1920s), but also the different meanings of the original colors of the beads.

original bead colors of Mardi Gras

Green: Faith
Purple: Justice
Gold: Power

Also, in the article I learned that, in fact, people can spend up to $2000 just in orders of beads they'll use in the parades to throw to people. They need to order them the year before to ensure they'll get here in time for Mardi Gras.
Nowadays, there is a lot more variety than there was before, and beads do not only include the original colors of Mardi Gras but also come in different shapes and sizes, each unique, and other stuff apart from beads is thrown, like cups and fluffy animals that have something to do with the central theme of the parade.

different sizes and types of beads