I have placed the following video in for you to play as you read my blog to set the mood. Plus it is a video of some great Louisiana Zydeco Dancing.
It is February. All over most of the world stores are covered in hearts, chocolates, and love. Not in south Louisiana. It is almost as if Valentine’s day simply does not exist here. Sure it is mentioned here or there. But why do anything for Valentine’s Day when it is MARDI GRAS!!
Mardi Gras is six weeks of parades, parties, and bon temps. To many who thought Mardi Gras was simply a few days of partying in New Orleans and Rio, you are sadly misinformed. Mardi Gras begins the day after Epiphany and does not end until ash wednesday. Multiple parades every weekend throughout the state. Some are family friendly and have young dance troops wearing bikinis and shaking their booty to explicit music. Some parades are at night and are covered in lights. Transforming the city into a glistening twinkle of times past. Some parades are risque throwing everything from thong underwear to condoms. One special parade at 8 am throws painted coconuts. But, only a few every year. You have to get their early enough to get a spot good enough to catch one. But my favorite is a parade in which everyone wears all hot pink. Everyone in the floats, everyone who goes. Flamingoes cover the town in their feathers like a soft snow.
Did I mention the King Cake? Every bakery makes it. They all claim to be the best. Most of them are dry. The best one is Haydel’s in New Orleans. Trust me. If you say otherwise. I will call you a liar and stick out my tongue.
Do I miss Valentine’s Day? Sure from time to time. But what I get instead is so much better.
Now you’re talkin! I’ll take a bag of mud bugs and some Cafe du Monde coffee to go please!
Yum !!
Sounds like so much more fun than Valentine’s Day
It is !!!
I will gladly vote for the un-Valentines day….i want to vomit from all the hearts on my god damn starbucks cup….gawd – there is no escaping….
Oh but I am obsessed with hearts. How about you send all your hearts to me and I will send you all my blank cups.
I DO miss Mardi Gras! I’ve thought about moving back just for that reason lol. Could use a few zillion more videos lol.
It is a great reason to live in Louisiana
This video makes me happy. I want that man in the frame at the very end to be my Valentine.
Ha Ha He does look like quite the romantic.
I have a friend who refers to Valentine’s as one of a few “gross domestic product” days. Blech!
Mardi Gras sounds like it has soul. So much more interesting!
Valentine’s Day is dreadful. No one really likes it. Like New Year’s Eve.
But who doesn’t love Mardi Gras??
Awesome post!!
Love your blog and your style of writing!
That is so kind. Thank you.
I’ve never been to New Orleans, but thanks to your “colourful” description, I’m looking up ticket prices right now!
One’s life is not complete without visiting New Orleans at least once.
Skip Valentine’s Day — I’m with you on that one! lol Mardi Gras is indeed even better! We have it over here on Galveston every year now, too — not on nearly as grand a scale, but it’s a fun option for those of us Texans that can’t make it over to NOLA for all the fun. 🙂
Enjoy! Hope you get the lucky baby in your piece of cake!
I have not gotten the baby in the cake in ages 😦