My object is Mardi Gras beads from my grandparents in New Orleans, which goes with our tradition of celebrating Mardi Gras here in LA if we aren’t in Louisiana. Mardi Gras beads are a necklace of plastic, shiny beads in the colors purple, green, and gold. The beads represent the culture of New Orleans and their holidays, as my dad’s family is from there and that’s where he grew up. The object is important in our yearly tradition, because when Mardi Gras happens in New Orleans, we can’t usually go. Our grandparents send us traditional New Orleans food and we decorate with beads and eat something called king cake, which is a Mardi Gras cake. My dad and his siblings grew up going to the parades and eating king cake, and so did my grandma when she was little. Her family has lived there for generations. My ancestors came from France to New Orleans a very long time ago, so it is important that even though my dad did not stay there, my sister and I are still familiar with the culture and food. While this story is different from other family stories because my family is just from a different state, there are still different cultural impacts. 

– R

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