Laissez Le Buon Tempi Rotolare!

For Lent this year I gave up asking people what Lent is about.  I honestly don’t get it, but I won’t ask about it again until after whatever day it is that Lent is over.  Maybe Easter?

The few things I know about this holiday season I learned by going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  But then I went to Carnevale in Venice last year and learned some different stuff.  I’ve listed some of the more interesting contrasts below.  Any questions?

Mardi Gras

Carnevale

Beverage of Choice

24 ounce Hurricane in a   souvenir cup

A lovely glass of Chianti

Food of Choice

Supersized Po’ Boys with   a Jambalaya chaser

Frutti di Mer in a   delicate white wine sauce served over homemade pasta

Catchphrase

Lose your bra for Mardi   Gras!

Ciao Bella!

Primary Activity

Drinking Hurricanes on   Bourbon Street

Strolling arm in arm   beside moonlit canals

Secondary Activity

Drinking Hurricanes on   Bourbon Street

Sipping cappuccino

Men’s Attire

Stained T-shirt, jeans   and beer soaked wig

A low-key selection from   the Armani for Carnevale costume collection

Women’s Attire

Daisy Dukes and any old   shirt; it’s coming off anyway

Tasteful, handcrafted   period costume

Masks

Plastic, made in China

Handpainted porcelain or   glass crafted by a master Maskmaker

Parades

Yep.  Lots of ’em

Mi scusi?

Krewes

Rex, Zulu, Comus,   Orpheus, Proteus, Bacchus, Hermes, Muses, Druids…how much time do you have?

Mi scusi?

Easter Day Activity

Nibbling on chocolate   bunnies

Mass in Latin at St.   Mark’s

 

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Laissez Le Buon Tempi Rotolare!

  1. Joanne schreiber says:

    The NOLA comps with Venice spot on! You may want to add the Drive Thru Ashes in Metarie, La. Let’s see: smoky, old liquor car vs. Renaissance church?

    • Jill Foer Hirsch says:

      Tempting as it sounds, I do not plan to visit NOLA again! I went to Mardi Gras by choice (it seemed like a good idea at the time) and then went to NOLA a second time for business. But enough is enough. No need for me to verify again. Happy to go back to Venice though and make sure I got that part right!

Comments are closed.