A Brief History of Mardi Gras

Indomitable Spirit
After Hurricane Katrina slammed into the city in August, 2005, many thought that Mardi Gras would have to be postponed for the first time since World War II. Residents, however, would hear nothing of it. Absent all the fancy trappings, the city held an abbreviated Carnival whose official parades rolled through the less devastated areas of New Orleans. This unofficial parade, however, marched through the ruined lakeside neighborhood of Gentilly. While the city's population has not yet returned to pre-Katrina levels, Mardi Gras celebrations have grown unabated.

• Requiem for a New Orleans Neighborhood