The fluctuating date of Mardi Gras was established by the Catholic Church that designed the Gregorian calendar with a fixed date for Christmas with moveable dates for other religious holidays. Easter, which can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25, is set to happen with the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. They were probably originally selected simply because they look good together. A Mardi Gras Krewe is the membership organization for a parade.
Throws are inexpensive trinkets tossed from floats by costumed and masked krewe members.
Doubloons are aluminum coin-line objects usually bearing the krewe's crest on one side and the parade's theme on the other side. The history of the King Cake began in 12th century France where the cake would be baked on the eve of Jan. 6 to celebrate the visit to the Christ Child by the three Kings. A small token was hidden in the cake as a surprise for the finder. French settlers brought the custom to Louisiana in the 18th century where it remained associated with the Epiphany until the 19th century when it became a more elaborate Mardi Gras custom. In New Orleans, the first cake of the season was served on Jan. 6.