Mardi Gras "floats" in the time of covid

[bixaorellana]

The coronavirus made Carnival parades impossible in 2021, but never-say-die New Orleans residents and organizations have made lemonade from lemons by converting their stoops, porches and balconies into stationary "floats." All hail!

Article & teaser photo below by Doug MacCash, staff writer for Nola.com.
The link takes you to an extensive virtual viewing.

www.nola.com/multimedia/photos/collection_57b3b908-54fb-11eb-af5d-8b79d450f1c0.html

[mossie]

Where there's a will, there's a way

[casimira]

I was so thrilled when I read and then saw these popping up all over town. From the extravagant to the modest expressions portrayed they really do brighten up the town.
In 1979 there was a police strike here and all the parades were cancelled as a result. But, that didn't stop revelers from coming out albeit in smaller numbers. That was my first Mardi Gras with T. We always refer to it fondly and it remains our favorite Mardi Gras that we spent together. The National Guardsmen that were stationed here all seemed to enjoy the festivities and it was a much more "local" holiday without any tourists most especially the college students who come for Spring Break and have no real appreciation of the festivities. Instead a free license to get sloppy drunk and rowdy.
Now with COVID, we won't be able to go out and revel which is depressing.
It reminds me of how many cities in Mexico and most especially Oaxaca found a way to adapt to the Muertos festivities.
Thanks so much for posting this Bixa!!
There are new ones popping up everyday.

[bjd]

Do those bead necklaces mean something special, Casi?

[casimira]

The Mardi Gras beads are what the float riders traditionally throw to the parade watchers. The purple, gold, and green tricolors are the traditional colors of Mardi Gras symbolizing Purple;Justice, Gold;Power, Green;Faith.
Over the years different groups or "Krewes" as they are known by have adopted their own colors to represent themselves.

[kerouac2]

I particularly appreciate the decorations which look more homemade, although I very much understand and support the need for professional float makers to earn a bit of cash in view of the circumstances.

[bixaorellana]

Jan 14, 2021 14:46:24 GMT casimira said:

Thanks so much for posting this Bixa!!
There are new ones popping up everyday.

Thank you, Casimira, and thanks also for telling people about Mardi Gras traditions. Can you take your phone when you're out and about in case you see a place that deserves a snap? The whole area around where you live is so ideal for this float treatment.

[lugg]

I really enjoyed seeing the stationary floats - such a riot of colour to cheer up my grey UK day.

Jan 14, 2021 14:46:24 GMT casimira said:

From the extravagant to the modest expressions portrayed they really do brighten up the town.

... absolutely

Equally I just loved looking behind the decorations at the architecture of the houses. Am I making assumptions when I noticed that all the buildings were raised up from the ground - ie steps to the front door is because of flooding ?

[casimira]

I agree with you Kerouac about the commercial designed decorations. Others have noted it as well. They are recycled from one of the major float designer/creators/"artists" and I think that they are lacking in imagination and after seeing one or two of them one thinks "no, please put up something more original". These are getting boring.

Bixa, I will try and do the best I can with my phone but please bear in mind that I am still in the flip phone phase of communication and the camera on it is pretty unsophisticated.

Lugg, you nailed it with regard to the raised homes being built to prevent flooding and the vast majority of the architecture here is designed with that in mind. Even the cemeteries are almost all raised because of us being under sea level in the vast majority of the city.
Our section of the city is not flood prone and our home is a Craftsman style built home much in the style of a California Bungalow.

[tod2]

Those are just too brilliant for words! Everyone so colourful and bright and put together with such care and enthusiasm for sure. I have only seen a dozen or more but want to go through them all slowly to admire the details.

[kerouac2]

Slightly off topic, but BBC World presented a gripping documentary about New Orleans and the tragic consequences of holding Mardi Gras celebrations as usual last year. I did not see every bit of it, but it was full of interviews of all of the musicians who have lost all of their gigs.

I don't think it made any accusations along the lines of "they should have known better and cancelled everything," but it was very clear that it was the worst event at the worst time -- it all happened just at the beginning of awareness in the United States with a federal administration that refused to believe that it was a problem.

Let's just hope that Mardi Gras in New Orleans can be real again next year.

[tod2]

Off Off topic here too. Our Royal Agricultural Show due to take place at Easter has been cancelled. I think it is very wise as it gets very crowded not only in the open air but in the display halls with vendors touting their wares.

[kerouac2]

All spring carnivals are cancelled in France, including overseas France for the second year running. Not to mention Chinese New Year.

[casimira]

Last year there were no warnings or precautionary suggestions etc. indicating that there was a risk in going out and reveling.
Nothing in the media both locally or otherwise was mentioned.
No one I know even mentioned it and we had no reason to avoid doing what we always do.
All that came after the fact and only then did people link the two events together.

[kerouac2]

That's what the BBC documentary pointed out, but it also said that if people had really been paying attention, they might have understood the risk. 20/20 hindsight is so annoying, because in terms of covid, it applies to almost everywhere except China, which clearly knew that a monster had been unleashed. "But that's just China -- who cares?"

[bjd]

I don't think you can say, "That's just China -- who cares?". There is also that China sat on the information about the epidemic at first, not wanting to lose face, and even arrested local Wuhan doctors who talked about what was going on.

[bixaorellana]

www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_2e1f5e8e-7087-11ea-b3b8-5bd1cceb3720.html

[casimira]

Thank you for that link Bixa.
It pretty much covers everything I was referring to.

Now, as of a few days ago Mayor Cantrell has come out and issued an invitation for tourists to feel free to come to NOLA for Mardi Gras "as long as they behave themselves" and follow the guidelines.
WTF?

[bixaorellana]

Mardi Gras ~ a perfect time to expect people to self discipline, follow the rules, and show restraint in all things.

Sheesh!

[casimira]

Yeah, just like allowing a Swingers Convention and telling the attendees you can come, but, sorry, no physical contact allowed.

[bixaorellana]

Right?! yuck.

On a brighter note, I thought I'd add some Mardi Gras tidbits here, although the expert on all things Carnival is Casimira's husband.

Is there an official Mardi Gras song? www.nola.com/entertainment_life/mardi_gras/article_af8b47f1-90a4-511d-b25f-93688e371841.html



And I have to include this version I just came across, which really kind of got to me. I also just discovered that Leigh Harris/Little Queenie died two years ago.

[casimira]

I'm sorry you weren't aware of Lil' Queenie's passing. I would have thought that it would be all over Facebook.

She had been quite ill for several tears, battling cancer which had spread to different organs.
I had never heard her cover of that song before and I thank you for posting it.

Her voice sounds so different. It has a much deeper, rich, and mature sound to it that I would not have recognized it as her had you not posted it.

[bixaorellana]

That rendition really grabbed me. I clicked on it out of curiosity because it came up with all the other If Ever...s. I've listened to it several times now, & it's moved me each time.

If you go to youtube & search "little queenie" or "lil queenie", you'll get everything except Leigh Harris. To find her on youtube, you have to search "little queenie new orleans".

[bixaorellana]

Ooooo ~ Algiers Point has gone all out for house floats. I adore the Lego house! (more house float links at bottom of article)

www.nola.com/multimedia/photos/collection_b90f4f28-60b8-11eb-a256-93bad4e2da0f.html#1

teaser ~

[kerouac2]

They had a report on the house floats of New Orleans on the French news this morning.

[bixaorellana]

I hope it warmed the French hearts. I saw a European PressPhoto Agency video today of the snow in Paris. It looked beautiful, but cold.

Here are some more float pictures, courtesy of The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2021/feb/08/new-orleans-houses-become-mardi-gras-floats-covid-in-pictures

[casimira]

There have been up to 3,000 of these house floats on display in the Metro area.
T and had occasion to be on St. Charles Ave. a couple of days ago and the traffic was at a crawl. T was so annoyed and initially couldn't figure out what was causing this. Then it dawned on him. 

[bixaorellana]

Oooo ~ I am envisioning St. Charles in the twilight, as all the house float lights come on. Yes, traffic would slow down, but what beauty!

For those who don't know, St. Charles is a boulevard with a wide, grassy median for the iconic NO streetcars. The avenue houses Audubon park and two universities and is lined with venerable oak trees and grand houses and mansions. Many of the houses have wide beveled glass doors, so driving past them at Christmas time, with all the Christmas trees and their colored lights refracted behind those doors is a visual treat.

[kerouac2]

I hope that this is a new tradition that will continue even when the health crisis has ended. You can appreciate the houses a lot longer than a float that passes by in 2 minutes even if there are no beads to catch.

[bixaorellana]

Heretic.