Mardi Gras throws

[1] Beads used on Mardi Gras (known as Shrove Tuesday in some regions) are purple, green, and gold, with these three colors containing the Christian symbolism of justice, faith, and power, respectively.

[4] As Fat Tuesday concludes the period of Carnival (Shrovetide), Mardi Gras beads are taken off oneself on the following day, Ash Wednesday, which begins the penitential season of Lent.

As one of the more recent Mardi Gras traditions, it took hold in the 1970s, with one source pegging it to Fat Tuesday 1976, when some women realized they could exchange glimpses of bare flesh for trinkets from their Royal Street balcony.

Already in the early 1980s the practice of women (and men) to flash their boobs, butts, and occasionally genitals for throws on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras was established.

[10][11][12] The official Mardi Gras website makes clear flashing is not a requirement for getting throws, and cautions against any indecent exposure, inappropriate or even illegal public nudity.