The Lillian D. Green Nutrition Center in Troy celebrated Mardi Gras on Tuesday with a festive parade led by drum major Raymond Wheeler and enjoyed by participants and spectators alike.

Hassie Green, center manager, said the Mardi Gras Parade was a great success and will probably become an annual event.

“We all like to have fun and we had lot of fun at the Mardi Gras parade,” she said. “We had special treats of Moon Pies and RC Colas and everybody participated in toasting the holiday.”

Jessica Cox, assistant manager, said most people think of New Orleans when they think of Mari Gras but it’s Alabama event, too.

“Mobile is the former capital of New France and has a long tradition of celebrating Mardi Gras,” Cox said. “Other cities along the Gulf Coast that were occupied and owned by the French have Mardi Gras celebrations. Of course, we aren’t on the Gulf Coast but we can still enjoy the traditions associated with Mardi Gras.”

Green agreed that anybody can celebrate Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which is the Tuesday before Lent and people take that day to enjoy what they are giving up for Lent and it’s often food – sweets in general and chocolates in particular, Green said.

“We talked about the traditions of Mardi Gras and how festive the celebration is,” she said. “The participants dressed in all kinds of colorful and funny costumes and paraded through the center. Most of them dressed in the traditional Mardi Gras colors, purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. I don’t think anybody could have had more fun than we did on Fat Tuesday.”