Carnival is such an integral part of our lives as Louisianians. It’s ingrained in our being and is part of the culture that defines us.
When you think about all that Carnival highlights in our lives, it’s only fitting that it’s then used to celebrate even bigger moments.
As a lucky member of the Carnival birthday club, with a birthday falling on or around Mardi Gras Day, I’m used to having a king cake be my birthday cake or sporting a sign that says, “it’s my birthday, so throw me something, mister!” But Carnival has played an even more important part in the lives of loved ones.
Popular parades along St. Charles and Orleans avenues have acted as the backdrop for proposals, name inspiration for little ones and animals, and any other big moment that just needs to be celebrated with a parade.
This year, New Orleanian Allie Kimball used her first ride with the Krewe of Cleopatra as the moment she and her husband found out the gender of their baby.
In a TikTok video, you can see Allie’s husband waiting for the float to get closer to where they were standing. A few seconds in, you see a rider on the float hold up a sign that says, “It’s a Girl.” And a pink sippy cup is tossed to her husband as the other riders throw pink beads.
@allie.kimball55 A New Orleans gender reveal! How my husband found out what we were having as I was riding in Cleopatra! Friday night is for the GIRLS!! 💕#cleopatra #neworleans ♬ Cycle Syncing Frequency – Still Haven
When asked about the moment, Kimball wasn’t even sure it would happen.
“I took my NIPT testing 2 weeks ago and I really didn’t think that I would have the results back in time because there was a delay with sending my test due to the winter storm that week,” said Kimball. “Then it came to the day before I was going to ride when I got the email saying my results were ready. So that night I made my sign with ‘it’s a boy’ on one side and ‘it’s a girl’ on the other side and Cleo had blue and pink sippy cups coincidentally that I filled with either blue or pink beads”
On the day of the ride, she opened the results with a friend, and each kept the secret throughout the day until the moment came for the reveal.
“I boarded the floats with the other girls I was riding with them still not knowing the gender yet,” said Kimball. “Everyone made their last-minute predictions, and I gave them pink and blue beads and asked them when they saw the sign to throw that color. As we turned on Napoleon, I knew my husband was only a few blocks away! When I saw him, I asked my friend Taylor to reveal the sign announcing to him and the other girls on the float that it was a girl. I then threw the pink sippy cup to him and was tearing up under my Cleo mask. It was a magical moment! My friend Sydney filmed from the natural ground. It was a last-minute announcement that is one of the most special moments of my life!”
Many people use the magic of Mardi Gras to celebrate milestones in their lives and it’s stories like this one that show the lasting impact these moments will hold. Not only are you celebrating with your family and friends, but with the thousands of people that become like friends and family out on the route.
Carnival is meant for joy and merriment. May more people use this time in the city to create memories to tell their future children about.
Though suggested Cleo could be a great – and appropriate – girl’s name, the couple already has their top choices picked out and this announcement is enough of a memory to last a whole lifetime.
