Technically established just over 246 years ago, the United States is seen as a relatively young country – definitely a teenager in my opinion.
Which probably explains why the American calendar seems to be jammed full of holidays and celebrations. There have already been several since New Year’s Day.
Just this past week we had Super Bowl Sunday followed by Valentines Day on Tuesday – which now seems to have become a successful commercial occasion for everyone rather than a romantic one. No doubt the stores have already removed the chocolate roses and teddy bears clutching hearts to make way for the marshmallow chicks and bunnies and chocolate eggs in preparation for Easter, which isn’t actually until April 9th this year. please note if you have just moved here and spot Cadburys mini eggs or Crème Eggs whilst out and about don’t get too excited. They are not exactly the same as the ones we grew up with…. I think they are quite tasty – if you’ve not had British chocolate in a while – but many other Brits in LA members would disagree and say avoid at all cost!
But let me not get ahead of myself as coming up this Monday is Presidents Day, which means the Post Office and banks will be closed as well as most (but not all) schools, and of course all of the Federal buildings. Pretty much everything else will be open and many may have special offers marking the occasion! Look out for ‘Presidents Day Sales’ signs. For some reason mattresses always seem to be a good price, but usually a good time to buy any big ticket item.
The following day is Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday – also known as Pancake Day to the Brits amongst us and yes another excuse to party. If you want to join in with the fun then head over to the Farmers Market at the Grove as they have events all weekend starting with the Mutti Gras Pet Parade & Costume Contest at the Market Plaza. Then the Mardi Gras Celebration kicks off on the West Patio with live music (which returns on Fat Tuesday as well) and traditional New Orleans food. Visit farmersmarketla.com for full details. There are also parades going on in Long Beach, Redondo Beach and Baldwin Hills but if none of these locations are convenient for you make sure to check your local area as I would be very surprised if there is not a celebration of some kind happening near you.
Don’t forget we Angelenos are also in the middle of awards season which doesn’t finish until the Oscars ceremony on March 12th. Which is the same day the clocks go forward in the USA, so be prepared to lose an hour that day.
It can all be a wonderful distraction if you are in the mood for it, but a bit of a nuisance if you are trying to get stuff done. Apparently quite a few Brits in LA members have attended various awards shows as seat fillers over the years – there is a recent conversation over on our Facebook group @BritsinLA so if you quite fancy the sound of that make sure to check it out.
I must admit that whenever I get cross being stuck in traffic because the Golden Globes have jammed Wilshire or delayed because the Academy Awards are setting up at the bottom of my street, I do try to remind myself that it could be worse.
If I had stayed in London I would be dealing with lane closures on the M25, train strikes/cancellations and probably worrying about ULEZ charges! Although sometimes I must admit the latter sounds rather appealing – especially when I haven’t been home for a while. The grass is always greener, right?
Last but not least, Sandro will also be hosting Pub Quiz next Tuesday at O’Briens Pub in Santa Monica – No doubt it will be a fun night whether or not they observe Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Pancake Day, but I am pretty certain they will be doing something for St Patrick’s Day next month!
Email us at britsinla@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments. We always love to hear from you…
Cheers!
Eileen
