Mardi Gras During A Pandemic And Polar Vortex
The end of Mardi Gras 2020, marked the end of large public gatherings and a whole lot of staying home on the weekends. Not long after The Krewe of Highland parade last year we were put on lockdown due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. And with that becoming worse, and New Orleans Mardi Gras being a super-spreader event during the beginning of the pandemic, we saw little hope of there being a Mardi Gras 2021.
Well, it turns out that we wouldn't have had much of a Mardi Gras day, what with getting slammed by Winter Storm Viola. Many of us still got to make Gumbo. But, making it for an emergency situation just kind of takes some of the fun out of it.
With the weather and pandemic, we're missing our Mardi Gras rituals. Leaving home early to find a good spot on the parade route, meeting up with friends and family for food and drinks, and dressing in flashy purple and gold! But, the holiday we in Louisiana have claimed as our own is not dead. Only taking a break while the world gets back to some semblance of normal.
Mardi Gras Krewes have been meeting and scheming on how to safely run our favorite parades as soon as next year. But, for Mardi Gras this year, just stay at home, wear some purple, and enjoy your emergency gumbo.