Last modified on Thu 11 Mar 2021 07.39 EST
For millions of people around the world, this Friday evening should be the most joyous of the year â the first night of carnival. In a normal year, brass and steel pan bands in New Orleans and Trinidad would be polishing their instruments after months of rehearsals, and mardi gras paraders pulling on spangled costumes before hitting the streets. And
Cariocas, residents of Rio de Janeiro, would be limbering up for what they proudly call âthe worldâs biggest partyâ.
Not this year, sadly: itâs been cancelled everywhere from Cádiz to the Caribbean. What a shame. Carnival would be the perfect antidote to our current woes: five carefree nights of dancing, music and drinking ⦠social distancing be damned.