Cancel Culture, Say It Ain’t So

It’s cancel culture time. That’s an apt moniker for all the parades, processions, promenades, and marches cancelled in the L.A. area and worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eighty-sixed

The first cancellation I learned about was the Iranian/Persian New Year Nowruz "Spring Walk” event on UCLA campus, scheduled for March 8, 2020.

Initially, it seemed Purim festivals and costume parades were still happening for the week of March 8 in the L.A. area. Soon after, cancellations flooded websites and news feeds.

Parading around the world was swiftly being shut down. In Israel, the 27th annual Ad’loyada Purim Parade (Holon) with its satirical caricatures was cancelled. St. Patrick Day parades were marked off the calendar in international cities of Dublin, Ireland and London, England. In the U.S., we had New York City (NY), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL) St. Louis (MO), New Orleans (LA), and local California cities like San Diego, Ventura, and Hermosa Beach cancelling their St. Paddy’s Day parades.

Waiting it out

I guess we all had our plans, but now with the restrictions advising social distancing and self isolation, we wait. This means that I’m not likely to see any LA area parades soon. I wish something would miraculously change, but it’s not likely that the Bangladesh Independence Day parade (March 29, 2020), Cambodia Town parade (April 5, 2020), or Blessing of the Animals procession (April 11, 2020) will happen in some virus-free disinfected bubble around L.A.land.

Seeing it from a distance

So, to celebrate local L.A. area parade history, I’m posting some photos from past parades held in March and April. No respiratory masks, sanitizing wipes, or HVAC suit required to see, enjoy and distract the mind from difficult times.