Mazatlan, Mexico.

This week, Michelle W. asks us to share our joy at the end of another week by asking us to define “jubilant” with our images. You can read the entire challenge post here. What better way to feature the term ‘jubilant’ with a joyful and exultant celebration similar to Mardi Gras. Held in many cities around the world, but most notably  for us in the United States, Mardi Gras as we know it is the celebration held in New Orleans. There are many other celebrations held at the same time in the western hemisphere, mostly in Latin America. Rio De Janeiro’s Carnaval is well known, for example.

One doesn’t have to travel to South America to enjoy the rhythms and sounds of the pre-lenten celebrations. For over a century, Mazatlan, on the western coast of Mexico features what has become one of the largest celebrations in the world. For five days prior to Ash Wednesday, the celebrations include multiple parades, coronations, music and all-night street parties. In 2015, we had occasion to visit Mazatlan coincidently at the same time as Carnaval Mazatlan. Of course we were obligated to head downtown on at least one of those evenings to watch one of the parades. This week we celebrate the jubilance of Mazatlan in celebration.

You can view more photos and find out more about Carnaval Mazatlan here.

John Steiner