Bonfires light the night on Christmas Eve 2021 on the Mississippi River levee in Gramercy. More than 200 bonfires in St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes lit the way for Papa Noel, a Christmas Eve tradition dating from the 1700s.
1. We set things on fire. for fun
Christmas fires in other places are usually sad and unfortunate occurrences associated with faulty holiday lights or burning oil overflowing a turkey-frying pot. Here in south Louisiana, we set stacks of wood on fire to light the way for Pere Noel.
Haven’t been to a Christmas bonfire? Go see the Algiers bonfire Dec. 3 from 4:30 to 8:00 pm on the Mississippi River battery near the ferry landing. Or, go to the Christmas Eve bonfires in the River Parishes.
2. Who needs Frosty? We have Mr Bingle.
Even New Orleans newbies have probably seen Mr. Bingle somewhere, maybe as a giant display at City Park’s Celebration in the Oaks or as a doll they can buy at Dillard’s — even though he was the mascot of the now-defunct Maison Blanche department store . Mr. Bingle was born in 1948 as a cute little snowman with an ice-cream cone for a hat, holly leaf wings and Christmas ornaments for eyes.
3. And who needs Prancer? We have Gaston.
From “The Cajun Night Before Christmas” by James Rice:
“Ha, Gaston! Ha, Tiboy! Ha, Pierre to ‘Alcee’!
Gee, Ninette! Hey, Suzette! Celeste to ‘Renee’!
4. We were the first to serve turducken.
Hey, who wants a drumstick!
The first mention of turducken in The Times-Picayune was in 1994. Chef Paul Prudhomme patented the word in 1986. The invention also was claimed by Hebert’s Specialty Meats in Maurice.
5. We import fake snow.
Kind of like a trip to the Super Bowl, every once in a while, we get snow in New Orleans. But you can count on at least one or two pseudo snowfalls every year.
If you want to frolic in fake flakes, you have options. The Velvet Cactus promises non-toxic foam in place of snow when you rent a private dining bubble tent as a part of its Christmas-themed dining experience, through Dec. 30. Loyola University plans Sneaux Dec. 6.
6. We drink eggnog frozen daiquiris.
Nothing says Christmas like eggnog — eggnog you can get from a drive-through daiquiri store, that is. Or, make your own at home.
7. We throw things at our Christmas parades.
You other cities with your Christmas parades are very nice, but you’re lucky if you catch a mini-Tootsie Roll at one of these affairs. Here in New Orleans, we throw beads and toys and other things at our parades — Mardi Gras or not. This year, take your pick of the Krewe of Krampus parade or the Children’s Hospital parade, both on Dec. 3.
8. We dump our Christmas trees in the marsh.
After Christmas, of course.
Every year, to battle the steady drumbeat of coastal erosion, we set our trees out on the curb on special days for pickup, to be delivered to special Santa’s helpers who dump them in the marshes and swamps. They are on Santa’s good list.
9. WE drink bourbon milk punch.
Milk punch has always been a New Orleans favorite, but it was in 2002 that it was perfected by the Bourbon House and became a staple. The French Quarter restaurant’s frozen bourbon milk punch is the perfect over-the-top Christmas brunch or dessert drink.
Daube Glace with roasted garlic crouton, horseradish cream and Hollygrove arugula from the Reveillon dinner menue at Mat & Naddie’s restaurant in 2012.
10. We eat a Reveillon meal.
The feast is a rich taste of New Orleans holiday history, as some of the city’s most renowned restaurants roll out Reveillon menus inspired by the 19th-century Creole Christmas tradition.
Creole families would start celebrating Christmas Day in the early morning hours with lavish feasts to break what was a traditional day of fasting on Christmas Eve. These days, Reveillon meals are especially popular on Christmas Eve.
11. We have our own Christmas tunes.
Benny Grunch & The Bunch released a trilogy of New Orleans-themed Christmas songs in 2009. They remain staples of the local holiday season.
The “12 Yats of Christmas,” “Ain’t Dere No More,” and “Santa and His Reindeer Used to Live Right Here,” can put any New Orleans family in the holiday spirit.
Melinda Daffin wrote this article in 2017, and Gabriella Killett updated it in 2022.