Catch of the day
The art of the throw
Throwing trinkets to the crowd dates to the early 1870s, when the Twelfth Night Revelers first tossed favors from their floats. Today every krewe has its own throws, and they are always free - a few signature catches are the stuff of legend.
What gets thrown
Beads
The classic throw. Once Czech glass, now plastic, often color-coded to the krewe. Catch a few and you have caught Carnival.
Doubloons
Stamped aluminum coins bearing each krewe's emblem and parade theme. The modern doubloon was introduced by Rex in 1960, designed by H. Alvin Sharpe.
Zulu coconut
A hand-painted coconut from the Zulu club - the single most coveted throw of Carnival. By tradition (and law, since the 1988 "Coconut Bill") it is handed down from the float, not thrown.
Muses shoe
A hand-glittered high heel from the all-female Krewe of Muses - one of the hardest catches to land, and a trophy if you do.
Cups
Branded plastic go-cups - genuinely useful, endlessly collected, and stacked in cupboards across the city.
Specialty throws
Moon pies, stuffed animals, light-up toys, mini footballs, and signature hand-decorated items vary by krewe.
How to catch (and the etiquette)
- Make eye contact with a rider, wave, and call out - it works better than shouting blindly.
- Kids and people on shoulders get priority; never snatch a throw from a child.
- Throws are gifts, not purchases - don't fight over them.
- Bring a bag; you'll catch more than you expect.