The 2021 Giant Omelette Celebration in Abbeville has been canceled.
Organizers shared the news in a social media post Thursday.
They tell KATC, "After much discussion about the Delta Variant of Covid 19 and weighing the gravity of the situation in our area the board of The Giant Omelette Celebration has decided that the safe thing to do is to cancel this year’s celebration. We cannot with a clear conscience put our membership, our vendors, bands and all who come out to help us celebrate in a situation that could lead to the spread of this disease."
The event was last held in 2019, the 35th anniversary of the tradition in Vermilion Parish; it was canceled last year due to COVID-19. The 12' omelette is created each year during the first full weekend in November in Abbeville's Magdalen Square.
The actual tradition traces back to the 19th century, organizers say. It started in the small town of Bessières, France, which is near Toulouse in southern France. The legend goes that Napoléon Bonaparte needed a way to feed his army, and sent soldiers out to collect eggs from the farmers. He made a giant omelette and fed both his army and the villagers.
The Abbeville recipe started years ago with 5,000 eggs - and one egg is added each year. Also used in the dish are 50 pounds of onions, 75 bell peppers, gallons of onion tops and parsley, gallons of cooking oil and milk, 52 pounds of butter and boxes of pepper and salt.
Organizers add they work "hard throughout the year to plan a unique, family friendly, free festival to our community and all the visitors from around the world who show up to celebrate with us. We are passionate about Omelette weekend!!"
They say they plan to be back in 2022, on November 5 and 6.
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