Hogmanay addendum

Apparently the big Hogmanay parties in Scotland were mostly cancelled due to a nasty winter storm that swept the country. Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh all saw their official street parties end early because of the nasty, cold wind and rain storm that swept through. Edinburgh's party organizers have been patting themselves on the back for the orderly way in which they cancelled without any major problems, but others have criticized the same organizers for waiting until 9:30 p.m. to call it off.

So, while Hogmanay might be Scotland's Mardi Gras, New Orleans rarely gets the kind of weather that would cancel Mardi Gras celebrations.