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No doubt
you’ve heard advice for authors to “write what you know.” I also follow this related
suggestion: “write what you want to know.” For me, that means that I write stories
set where I live, i.e., Virginia Beach and its environs. And, it also means
that I write stories set in New Orleans, which I visit as often as I can,
strictly for “research,” of course.
Despite
recent events, New Orleans is probably best known for Mardi Gras. Well, it’s
that time of year again. But Mardi Gras is not just a date. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. In addition to referring to a specific
date (March 4th, this year), "Fat Tuesday" represents an entire
season of Carnival celebration. Every year, Mardi Gras season begins on Twelfth
Night, which is January 6. Twelfth Night represents the Christian holy day of
the Epiphany. The season, which represents a time of celebration before
Christian Lent, lasts until Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is
March 4, 2025.
On January 6th, the merriment begins with the Krewe of Joan of Arc, a walking
parade through the French Quarter, and three "parades" along various
streetcar lines—Phunny Phorty Phellows, Funky Uptown Krewe, and the Societe Des Champs
Elysees (French accents omitted). For more about parade routes and schedules,
check out this website:
https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/.../www.../parades/
In the
meantime, Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler—Let the Good Times Roll!
