I have long maintained that for whatever maladies may haunt New Orleanians, post-Christmas letdown has not been one of them. While the rest of the world hauls its Christmas clutter to the shed, we deck our halls with purple, green and gold. The fruit cake box might be empty, but here comes the king cake.
Originally, it was the 12th day that was supposed to be the biggest day of the Christmas season, but over time the first day figured in best with the rush to celebrate leaving the last day as useless as 12 drummers drumming, but wait, there could be genius here: Did someone say drumming?
Things will be a different this year, we know, but Jan. 6 still begins a prelude to celebrating the Carnival to follow, even when there is not much celebrating ahead. Maybe within our inner-sanctum we can find our own way to celebrate. By 12th Night we are on a spiritual journey with Lent to follow and ending with Easter. Less solemn, but along the way, the Irish will want to celebrate their feast day, so too will the Italians. Ordinarily, by the time we reach Easter and Passover, Jazz Fest is near with its own demands to relish the moment.
There is a good chance that we will again be denied proper celebration of all these things this year, just as we were in the horrible 2020, but at least the calendar dates help us set goals. We do not want a year of Good Fridays, one is enough, but if by next Christmas we can look back and see definite signs that we are indeed the conquers that could give hope: May there be fewer restrictions in our lives and more drummer’s drumming our way.
-30-
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Errol’s Laborde’s books, “New Orleans: The First 300 Years” and “Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2017 and 2013), are available at local bookstores and at book websites.
WATCH INFORMED SOURCES, FRIDAYS AT 7 P.M., REPEATED AT 9:30 A.M. SUNDAYS.WYES-TV, CH. 12.
SOMETHING NEW: Listen to Louisiana Insider a weekly podcast cover the people, places and culture of the state: MyNewOrleans.com/LouisianaInisder or Apple Podcasts.
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I have long maintained that for whatever maladies may haunt New Orleanians, post-Christmas letdown has not been one of them. While the rest of the world hauls its Christmas clutter to the shed, we deck our halls with purple, green and gold. The fruit cake box might be empty, but here comes the king cake.
Originally, it was the 12th day that was supposed to be the biggest day of the Christmas season, but over time the first day figured in best with the rush to celebrate leaving the last day as useless as 12 drummers drumming, but wait, there could be genius here: Did someone say drumming?
Things will be a different this year, we know, but Jan. 6 still begins a prelude to celebrating the Carnival to follow, even when there is not much celebrating ahead. Maybe within our inner-sanctum we can find our own way to celebrate. By 12th Night we are on a spiritual journey with Lent to follow and ending with Easter. Less solemn, but along the way, the Irish will want to celebrate their feast day, so too will the Italians. Ordinarily, by the time we reach Easter and Passover, Jazz Fest is near with its own demands to relish the moment.
There is a good chance that we will again be denied proper celebration of all these things this year, just as we were in the horrible 2020, but at least the calendar dates help us set goals. We do not want a year of Good Fridays, one is enough, but if by next Christmas we can look back and see definite signs that we are indeed the conquers that could give hope: May there be fewer restrictions in our lives and more drummer’s drumming our way.
-30-
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Errol’s Laborde’s books, “New Orleans: The First 300 Years” and “Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2017 and 2013), are available at local bookstores and at book websites.
WATCH INFORMED SOURCES, FRIDAYS AT 7 P.M., REPEATED AT 9:30 A.M. SUNDAYS.WYES-TV, CH. 12.
SOMETHING NEW: Listen to Louisiana Insider a weekly podcast cover the people, places and culture of the state: