2021 Gumbo final - Book - Page 206
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marcus
“I’d have to say that my favorite Mardi Gras memory is going to Zulu
every year. My family and I wake up early, and we go out to have
fun and cook before the parade. Afterwards, we do the same thing!
It’s pretty much an all-day thing for us. We like to eat ribs, macaroni,
sandwiches, chips and a whole bunch of stuff. We’re in the same spot
every year for the parade too. I don’t know the exact street, but it’s right
by one of the cemeteries. When the parade rolls by there, you have
to get the coconuts. That’s the signature catch right there! I’ve caught
multiple. They throw bags off of the floats, and one time, my cousin
and I caught two bags full of just beads and coconuts. Obviously, that
was when we were younger, so we don’t get as much stuff now. As
I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped getting into catching the beads and all
of the stuff like that. Now, I go for the bands and the aesthetic. I know
some people in the parade, so seeing them is also really cool. I just
enjoy being down there for the full experience.”