Surviving Katrina: Reviving Mardi Gras

¶ … Surviving Katrina: Reviving Mardi Gras

The horrible tragedy of Hurricane Katrina destroyed more than property damage, it took many people's lives and livelihoods. A once flourishing town, New Orleans stood as a modern day ghost town for several months after the hurricane, and many areas still show massive amounts of property damage. Yet, even after the tragedy, many people have begun the hard work to restore their once vibrant community, including the revival of their infamous Mardi Gras festivities. Yet is it possible? Can New Orleans bring Mardi Gras back in the wake of such a tragedy without loosing its successful flare?

Mardi Gras is actually a quasi-religious ceremony which essentially lets Catholics have a little fun before entering into the period of Lent, which dedicated Catholics give up luxuries as a sacrifice. The term, in French "Fat Tuesday," denotes a day to live it up before giving u such things as meat or wine after Ash Wednesday. It was a time to play before you resumed your role as a dedicated Catholic. Originating in Europe, the Carnival atmosphere we associate with it today took well to the Creole inhabitants of formerly French held Louisiana. Due to its high level of French speaking residents, New Orleans made the celebration of Mardi Gras one of its specialties after its first celebration in 1699. In the modern context, Mardi Gras has been an important source of income for the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. Today, the residents of New Orleans go all out for their costumes, parades, and other celebrations.

Yet, one major set back to those beloved celebrations -- Hurricane Katrina. As it ravished the Gulf Coast in August 2005, it left New Orleans sunk under massive amounts of water. After thousands dead and millions of dollars in property damage, many were wondering if Mardi Gras would ever return to the streets of the French Quarter. Even high ranking officials such as Lt. Governor Landrieu believed Mardi Gras had a good possibility of disappearing into the pages of New Orleans already rich history. Many believed it was disrespectful to continue on the tradition so soon after Katrina's disastrous wrath. Others questioned if the practice would ever return in full force at all with the negative image of the area portrayed by the media.

However, residents of New Orleans have proven to the world that they are not letting their 300 century old tradition to die so easily. Hurricane Katrina took a lot from many residents, and they refuse to let the tragedy rob them of any more of their livelihood. Full efforts of the city's resources have begun to rebuild the image of Mardi Gras as the massive phenomenon it was. After a few years of smaller celebrations, more recent celebrations have returned to their outrageous roots, and tourists are once again flocking to the insane festivities offered in the crazy days of Mardi Gras. The 2009 celebration is looking to bring back the pre-Katrina glory, and is backed by the entire city. The mayor and all the residents have continued to amaze the rest of the nation with their dedication to keeping the Carnival running.

Although recent celebrations have been relatively small in comparison to pre-Katrina debaucheries, the city of New Orleans refuses to let their livelihood die. Many citizens have dedicated time and effort into reviving the tradition. As each new year after Katrina continues to grow and bring more and more tourists back to Mardi Gras, it looks as though their hard work is paying off. Although Mardi Gras has a long way to go, it is well on its way to reclaiming its former glory.

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