Mardi Gras Reminds Me of Hanukkah :: Bright Lights Lighting Others
Hey hey, out here experiencing only for my second or third time the beauty of Mardi, it’s ya gal Type C, ready half the time to curl into a hot bath and rest in these literally freezing temperatures, and half-ready the rest of the time to toast a hot tea L’Chaim toward the many festivals and parades we’re lucky enough to experience in NOLA for weeks on end.
(You may recall Type C is #momlife in all its complexity somewhere between the ambitious but perhaps rigid A’s, and fun-loving but probably perpetually late B’s).
What are all these glorious parades, balls, and artistic displays if not a similar sort of Festival of Lights, inspiring us out of the depths of difficult times by sheer goodwill, reams of talent, and an audacious dedication to tradition?
Does NOLA as a whole ever experience anything more festive in any capacity than the triumphant return of Mardi Gras each year?
Except obviously that one absolutely gorgeous life-changing October when Taylor Swift made the whole city shimmer.
If Muses could perchance design a shoe I’ve been picturing … it’s a high heel diorama scene intricately fashioned depicting (stay with me) Taylor under the Dome glinting in purple, green, and gold while kicking a Saints football impossibly high which itself is being chased by Scrim the illustrious doggie escapee as Gayle Benson and Trombone Shorty cheer him on.
Until then I’m looking for (and finding!) every possible NOLA-inspired combination of exuberance, joy, and lights upon lights.
My dad was seemingly anointed unofficial King of Mardi Gras today when we unexpectedly encountered the Krewe of Little Rascals on Vets.
What else could this giant necklace signify but a kind of homecoming? Someone truly knighted him here; thank you kind people and traditions of Louisiana for bringing us so much (especially we who traveled great and difficult distances to transplant ourselves here and to put down roots).
You lit us like a Shames which is not only my last name but the middle candle on the menorah at Hanukkah, with a kind of exuberant joy today that was touching and unexpected.
Another way to put that is, You threw him something mister!
And just as we miss Hanukkah and all its glory, we are absolutely reminded of sparkling lights and harvest this time of year. With Mardi Gras and the Jewish festival of Tu B’Shevat combining right now, it’s the perfect time to revel in the abundance of nature, the Tree of Life, and the Fruit from the Vine. In this unseasonable cold, it’s also a great season for coconut soup deliciousness from TukTuk Thai for example. Remember that Carnival season and let’s be honest, all of life really, is a marathon not a sprint. From one Jewish mom to anyone else (and as my mom reminds me also), get yourself some soup on the parade route between the festivities and difficulties.
