You’re a mean one, Mardi Gras Grinch….
You realllllly suck at life
You’re as exciting as parole
You’re as inviting as the North Pole
Mardi Gras Grinch!

There is no mistaking it, whether you like it or not, Mardi Gras is rapidly approaching.  Carnival has slowly been gaining momentum for over a month now and the excitement of a New Orleans reveler is ever so delicately growing like a child awaiting Christmas.  There is nothing that can kill this child-like excitement during the most magical time of the year, or is there?

Enter the Mardi Gras Grinch.  We’ve all met at least one.  They bitch, they whine and  they complain…about EVERYTHING.  Carnival is here and they are angry about it.  “The streets are closed” “I can’t get to the grocery store” “People don’t want to make business meetings” “Why are people taking time off from work?” “It’s noisy” “There is trash everywhere” “People are drunk”…trust me, they can go on!

Telling a New Orleanian that you hate Carnival is like telling a kindergartener that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.  It shatters the very spirit of the holiday, killing their slowly building anticipation of festivities and merriment.  One must be very wary when they come into contact with such a creature because it can kill the entire mood of a season.  They very spirit of community, merriment and a laissez-faire attitude is punctured with their negativity and bewilderment.

Carnival is a time to let go of all your stresses, relax and let the season take you on a wild ride through the stacked calendar of parades and parties.  To ensure an optimal Carnival season, beware the Mardi Gras Grinch.  Avoid at all cost and when cornered, disengage.  Appropriate topics for redirection: New Orleans Saints, “your momma and dem”, or their personal favorite-the weather up North.

So to all the Mardi Gras Grinches out there:

The three words that best describe you, are as follows, and I quote:
“Stink, Stank, Stunk!”

The rest of us will be out at the parades, enjoying ourselves and getting a little drunk!