| Kamat\'s_Potpourri_-_Holi Pictures show the people of India celebrating. |
| Canada_Day_Checklist Includes flag protocol, the words to O Canada (in English and French), and the origin of the name Canada. |
| Canada_Day_in_Sooke,_BC_A_Yearly_Celebration! Canada Day is celebrated July 1 every year, and gives all Canadians an opportunity to show pride in their country. |
| Canada_Day_Lessons_and_Resources Collection of annotated links geared toward teachers. |
| Canada_Day_Poster_Challenge An activity guide for educators, community groups, and others who will encourage young Canadians to explore what makes Canada "the place to be in the 21st century." |
| Celebrate_Canada The Canadian government invites all Canadians to celebrate from June 21 to July 1 every year. Site by Heritage Canada. |
| DLTK\'s_Canada_Day_Crafts_for_Kids Printable template for children's Canada Day crafts suitable for preschool, kindergarten and gradeschool kids. |
| Happy_Canada_Day Provides brief history of the holiday as well as lyrics for national anthem. |
| Day_of_the_Dead Explores what Mexicans are celebrating on the Day of the Dead. |
| Day_of_the_Dead Describes the celebration's history, spiritual significance, traditions, foods and decorations. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_-_A_Mexican_Perspective A Mexican woman explains the origins of the Day of the Dead. Contains a photograph of an altar dedicated to the events of September 11 2001. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Mexico Excerpts from Mary J. Andrade's book give a history of the holiday. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Oaxaca Describes the celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Oaxaca__Oaxaca,_Mexico The Cabrera family describes one of the most important festivities of Oaxaca. |
| Day_of_the_Dead_in_Totimehuacan__A_Photographic_Study Decorated graves, home altars and public spaces on All Souls Day in San Francisco Totimehuacan, Puebla, Mexico, with bibliography. In English and Spanish. |
| Dia_de_los_Muertos Shows history, traditional foods, events and timeline, photos, altar, Realaudio interviews, and related e-postcards. |
| Dia_de_los_Muertos Brief overview of the holiday with links to related information. |
| Dia_de_los_Muertos/Day_of_the_Dead Dedicated to the Mexican holiday, el dia de los muertos (the day of the dead). Information on altar making, the history of the holiday and its art. |
| DÃa_de_los_Muertos Events, history and customs of the Mexican celebration. |
| Janitzio__Celebrating_the_Day_of_the_Dead Explores how the holiday is celebrated in Janitzio. |
| Los_Dias_De_Los_Muertos Provides a short description of the celebration, along with a brief look at its origins and contemporary customs. |
| LosMuertes Describes the holiday and features the artwork of Jose Guadalupe Posada, whose drawings have become synonymous with the Day of the Dead. |
| Mexican_Tradition__Day_of_the_Dead Includes comprehensive description of the holiday, its cultural significance, and the religious overtones, as well as actual photographs from the celebration. |
| Mexico_OnLine__Day_Of_The_Dead Detailed description of the festival celebrating the reunion of dead relatives with their families. Includes photographs. |
| Mything_Links\'_Day_of_the_Dead_in_Mexico Collection of annotated links with traditional music and artwork. |
| The_People\'s_Guide_to_Mexico__Day_of_the_Dead Examines the differences between Halloween and the Day of the Dead, and explores the customs related to the traditional Mexican holiday. |
| Tradition_of_the_Dead\'s_Day Brief description of the holiday and annotated links. |
| Bastille_Day An Editorial which contends citizens have not yet obtained the economic justice for which American, French, Russian, and other revolutionaries fought. |
| Bastille_Day Provides information about this French symbol of the end of the Monarchy and the beginning of the First Republic. |
| Bastille_Day_-_French_National_Holiday Information on the storming, the national flag that ensued from that, and subsequent history. Includes links to more information. |
| Bastille_Day_definition_from_Wikipedia Reference information including the definition, history, and a timeline of the French Revolution. |
| Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_the_Citizen List of the 17 articles that were approved by the National Assembly of France after the storming. Includes footnote on the writer and his friendship and admiration of Thomas Jefferson and George Washi |
| Embassy_of_France_in_the_US_-_Bastille_Day__July_14th Page by the French Embassy Press Office giving overview of the storming of the Bastille. |
| 14_July_--_A_National_Holiday_in_France Discusses the storming of the Bastille, the subsequent Revolution, and the legacy of the Revolution. |
| Remains_of_the_Bastille A color photograph of what remains of the Bastille in Paris. |
| Absolutely_for_Flag_Day Celebrating Flag Day on June 14th. History of the flag, what the colors stand for, a monolouge by the US Flag, poems honouring the flag, patriotic midi collection, flag etiquette, crafts, trivia, and |
| Annie\'s_Flag_Day_Page All about the U.S. holiday, along with the Pledge of Allegiance, definitions of what "flag" means, and history of the observance. |
| Australian_National_Flag_Day Tells about Flag Day in Australia and includes a little of the country's history. |
| ChildFun\'s_Flag_Crafts_and_Activities Flag activities appropriate for U.S. patriotic holidays. |
| Cyber_Grandma_and_Flag_Day History and traditions of the U.S. Flag Day. |
When I accepted an invitation from a friend to travel down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras 1995, I had no idea what to expect. It ended up being one of the best vacations of my life.My sister asked me to bring her back some beads. "Where do I get beads?", I naively asked my friend. "They throw them at you!", she replied. By the end of my trip, laden down with bags of beads for the return trip to Chicago, I had certainly found that out!Among the parades I watched during my trip were:Hermes, Endymion, Thoth (by accident, we caught the end of it and quite a bit of beads, etc!), Bacchus, Zeus (in Metairie) and Zulu. The rainy weather on Tuesday kept some of us from staying on the route for all the parades, but the French Quarter itself provided some great entertainment! 
A Balcony Scene in the Quarter on Mardi Gras
Craig receiving a kiss for beads in the Quarter on Mardi GrasMy first full Mardi Gras season. I had a blast!Since I worked and lived in Metairie, I attended quite a few parades there rather than making the trip into the city for them. I did manage to make it into the city for a select few however.Starting February 9, there were parades every day thru Mardi Gras day itself. I attended 10 altogether, even considering the fact I saw no parades on Mardi Gras itself, since I spent the day wandering around the Quarter people watching and taking photographs. 
To the left is one of the many pictures taken in the French Quarter February 11, 1997. For more, click the picture or follow the link to the 1997 Mardi Gras Photo Album.
If you'd like to see more, pictures from Mardi Gras 1996 (February 20, 1996) can be found in the 1996 Mardi Gras Photo Album.For a look at the Parade Schedule and route maps, follow the link to the Mardi Gras Parade Schedules. 
jareyn@hotmail.com© 1996-2006All Rights ReservedUpdated May 30, 2006 
