Louisiana's holiday

Richie Diaz
English2000-39

Purple, green, gold—these combinational colors are recognized by people nationwide in celebrating Mardi Gras. Though Mardi Gras is not a nationally observed holiday, many states such as Louisiana, Alabama and Texas, still celebrate this event every year. When this holiday comes to a person’s mind, they have a tendency to think of Louisiana. New Orleans is the home and heart of this popular tradition, thus representing the state of Louisiana. The picture I chose is of my friend Rachel, attending a parade this past Mardi Gras holiday. I picked this picture because I think represents Louisiana on a global scale. International tourists visit Louisiana during this time because Mardi Gras gives visitors a chance to observe and be part of a different culture’s celebration. The picture above shows Rachel wearing a red hat and carrying many beads around her neck. Nothing in the picture tells you the location or time that it was taken but just by the beads on her neck gives a clue to viewers that she’s at a Mardi Gras parade. One would most likely guess a parade in New Orleans. The familiar scenes of Mardi Gras consist of floats, beads, king cakes, and alcohol. Which of these do you think draw a significant amount of tourists each year in order to experience this event? A lot of these goods represent Louisiana strongly, but the most influential is the pride that the people hold for this state. The attitude that people have during parades portrays excitement and fun, which is something every person wants to experience.
Most of the residents in Louisiana have gone to at least one parade and know what it feels like to be part of that excitement. Millions have raised their arms out to strangers holding beads and have said “Throw me something mister!” There are also women who are brave enough to show their breast in exchange for beads that will soon be useless to them. Another way that this picture represents Louisiana is the odd, red-shaped hat that Rachel is wearing. Would she wear this hat in public if it weren’t for a Mardi Gras parade? She probably wouldn’t, but why does she think it’s appropriate for this type of gathering? The Mardi Gras tradition is also popular for the wild costumes and large hats; so seeing a person during a parade wearing beads accompanied by a bright or large hat isn’t seen as strange attire. The recent themes of the costumes being worn in New Orleans have represented the events that occurred during their 2005 natural disaster:Hurricane Katrina.
Other states see Louisiana now as the “charity” state” because of our economic instability and how the media has portrayed Hurricane Katrina. The way that the New Orleans parades continued despite post-Katrina damage shows the nation the strength of Louisiana spirit. Yes, Hurricane Katrina did shake the lives of many Louisianans, but keeping their traditions alive is their way of fighting back.