We used to go to this street party each New Year's Eve a while back but I don't know what its been like recently, but this year the city was apparently cracking down on the drunken revery. The tradition was that this neighborhood in mid-City here in New Orleans would put out all their old Christmas trees on the neutral ground and light them up for a bonfire on midnight when they rang in the New Year. Of course, there was drinking and illegal fireworks in the mix, but the cops and fire department gave it all a pass. In fact, on the years we went, the fire department rolled up about a quarter past midnight and would politely put out the bonfire as it burned down. But because the authorities threatened to crack down and prevent the party this year, a compromise was reached and the bonfire went ahead, as accounted in this news story.
But look at the picture the paper ran:
and compare that with the short video I made a few years ago:
Pretty chaotic, yes, and it was amazing that no one was seriously hurt. But compare the video with the picture and pick which looks more fun. Its like a pagan bacchanal versus a Cub Scout cook-out.
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