Forget Christmas – Mardi Gras season is the most wonderful time of the year in my book. As a Louisiana native, I’ve always had a very special place in my heart for this festive tradition. The parades, the beads, the food, the fun: year after year I just can’t seem to get enough.
As a child I always went to the Mardi Gras parades with my family in my hometown of Shreveport. We met up with friends and tailgated along the parade route, grilling burgers or eating bowls of gumbo or jambalaya someone graciously cooked. Bold shades of purple, green, and gold surrounded us in the forms of masks, flags, costumes, signs, hats, and anything else you can possibly imagine. There was no shortage of ways to show your Mardi Gras spirit.
The parades never disappointed. Crowds cheered for the large, colorful floats filled with Krewe members smiling and tossing beads to the eager crowd. Children were propped on the shoulders of parents, shouting, “Throw me something, mister!” and cheering with glee when their demands were met. High school bands filled the air with music so upbeat we couldn’t help but dance. As the last float passed by, we compared our newly collected beads to see who caught the most. I rarely won since I’m not tall enough to catch a lot of the flying beads; nevertheless, it was always fun.
As much as I loved these traditions, the thing I enjoyed most about Mardi Gras was the community spirit. This was the one time of year the entire city came together to socialize, eat Cajun food, play games and just celebrate life. Sure, we had festivals and other community events, but Mardi Gras was always special. Nothing else compared to the energy that filled the city during this time. Mardi Gras brought the city to life.
Once I moved to Dallas, I had a hard time adjusting to a city that didn’t pull out all the Mardi Gras stops. King cakes just weren’t appreciated like they were back home. The big parades were nowhere to be found. My friends didn’t understand the small collection of colorful plastic beads I kept in my apartment. I did find the occasional celebration here and there, but nothing that brought the whole city together like the Mardi Gras I grew up with.
Luckily for Orange, you do have a Mardi Gras celebration, and it’s coming up this weekend. If you’ve never taken part in the festivities, I recommend you join in the fun this year. From the carnival to the pageant to the parade, Orange has a slew of events guaranteed to show you a good time. Take it from me: you won’t want to miss this.
You can visit The Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce for a complete rundown on this year’s activities, and as they say, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
This message was also printed in the January 23, 2008 issue of The Orange Leader by guest columnist Nikki Sumrow. You can read a new column each Wednesday in The Orange Leader discussing the latest Orange events and activities. If you would like to suggest a topic for a future column, please contact me at nikki.sumrow@imaginuity.com.
