A year in Haiti without celebrating Mardi Gras is like the US deciding to not observe July 4th  – it’s unheard of. According to Haitian history, this is the first time since a president in the early 1900’stried to put a stop to the celebration (he was deposed soon thereafter).

The Government of Haiti called for a weekend of prayer beginning last Friday and many people gathered at Champs de Mars in Port-au-Prince to watch. As we watched footage of those praying with strong conviction, I can’t help but think how different their plans were just one month prior.

Venezuelans celebrate Mardi Gras a bit differently. Apparently, most of the parades take place outside of Caracas and some people use the holiday to spend time at the beach. The only other time that I’ve seen Caracas this quiet was during the Christmas holiday. Very different indeed.

What keeps me hopeful is that I know how resilient Haitians are and there will be Mardi Gras next year. I can’t wait to hear how the musicians will take all that has happened and all that will happen during this year and turn them into catchy tunes.

Photo credits: calix and Paphio

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