mardi gras

What is Mardi Gras? Why is it important? I think Mardi Gras can be considered a staple in the New Orleans community. It is one event that unites the entire NOLA community, much like the super bowl. So much criticism is directed towards the citizens and community of New Orleans, and Mardi Gras is indeed one of the areas receiving criticism. This criticism, however, despite all of the focus on “boobs and booze” is inevitably positive because as I said, it truly unites the community into one solid front. No other place or time can you look around and see people of all generations, all races, all ethnicities, smiling and gawking at the floats, just happy to be there, happy to be surrounded by other people with the same enthusiasm they share. Mardi Gras, I assume (this is going to be my first one), seems like a happy time. There seems to be an essence of carelessness in the air, more so than usual. People are for once living in the moment, trying to absorb every second of the madness as possible. A child, a teenager, and an elderly woman will all stand together on the street and remark and smile at each other, complete strangers, on how exciting and how fun of a time they are having, how beautiful that float is. The New Orleans community, and tourists from all over the nation, unite.