Happy Mardi Gras!
Laissez les bons temp rouler, y’all. Let the good times roll...that means the floats, y’all!.
After the 2021 cancellation in 2021...WE HAVE MARDI GRAS AGAIN!
The Pandemic rudely and heartlessly caused the cancelation of Mardi Gras in 2021. The spirit of Mardi Gras continued for us in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
2021- We drove past the floats in our cars in City Park
We celebrated by creating our own Mardi Gras Floats at home! We LOVE our Mardi Gras and the fun of gathering with our families, friends, and the strangers (who don’t remain strangers by the time the first float passes) standing near us along the roadside (who don’t remain strangers by the time the first float passes). It’s the excitement and tradition of the colorful floats, spirited music, shared celebration, parade food, and sometimes liquid indulgences that bring us together.
HAVE YOU had a chance to experience the gaudiness, lively sounds and unique scents of Mardi Gras? Hey, when I smell plastic (like the beads and cheap throws) or hear the clang of metal on the ground (like tossed doubloons), it conjures up the good vibes of attending a Mardi Gras parade.
I love Mardi Gras so much, that I wrote it into my book, Elli, a Second Chance Novel! Elli is from Los Angeles and never experienced the preparation, attending nor actually riding in a Mardi Gras parade. So, I had her do all three! It was fun writing those scenes and I hope you enjoy reading them. I used my personal experiences and love of the Mardi Gras Season in teaching Elli about this special time of year! BTW, Elli will be re-released soon! Very SOON! I'll keep you posted.
So, when - for all the many reasons we know too well - Mardi Gras was canceled in 2021, it made a sad time feel bleaker (but not hopeless- Keep Reading to see why!). It had only been canceled 14 times since it first rolled in 1857.
Mardi Gras X Cancelled.
Although parades were called off due to the Spanish Flu epidemic, maskers still took to the streets to celebrate. (THNOC, gift of Waldemar Nelson)
1862-1865 During the Civil War
1875 During civil unrest following the Battle of Liberty Place.
1879 Only one Krewe paraded because of a Yellow-Fever outbreak
1918-19 During the Spanish Flu and World War I
1942-1945 World War II
1951 Korean Conflict parades rolled, but it was scaled back
1979 Orleans Parish Police Strike. Many of the New Orleans Krewes paraded in nearby parishes!
While we feared there would be no Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina (2005), Mardi Gras Krewes proved how resilient the city was and paraded on Fat Tuesday 2006! That resiliency shined through in 2021 too. Mardi Gras found a way - Yardi-Gras and House Floats were born! While we didn’t gather in our usual ways, we drove through neighborhoods to see homes decorated like floats and some had small, covert gatherings to celebrate Mardi Gras in backyards.
Aren’t these great?! This year, many have decorated their homes again... maybe starting a new tradition to carry on through the ages- we can hope, right?
#KreweofHouseFloats #YardiGras.
Happy Mardi Gras, Y’all!
Tina
P.S. Here are a few oldies I found while preparing this Blog! Enjoy! LOOK at Those crowds!
