Why do Mobile maskers throw doubloons and moon pies?
The custom of throwing trinkets developed from the European custom of throwing dragees (sugar coated almonds) to the crowds. In the 1850s, New Orleans modified the idea and began throwing small bags of flour that would burst open and shower the onlookers. The first doubloon was thrown in New Orleans at the Rex parade – which became a Mardi Gras tradition. Today maskers in Mobile throw doubloons stamped with their parade themes in a variety of colors – pink, green, purple, etc. (from Coasting through Mardi Gras a Guide to Carnival Along the Gulf Coast ) You might call moon pies the official food of Mobile Mardi Gras. According to legend, a savvy salesman from the Chattanooga Bakery asked a group of coal miners what kind of snack they would like. The miners unanimously agreed it had to be something that could fit in their lunch pails but had to be filling. One held up his hand, encircling the outline of the rising moon, and replied – “About that big!
