Christmas Like a Cajun: South Louisiana Traditions

Cajun Holiday Meals

Many holiday dinners include having seafood dishes like seafood gumbo and oyster dressing. Look for Cajun sausage and fried turkey — or a signature Louisiana turducken! Bread pudding, pralines, fudge, pound cake and divinity candy are some of the desserts served.

Christmas Eve in Cajun Country 

Cajuns follow a slightly different version of the “Night Before Christmas.” The “Cajun Night Before Christmas” is read in local lingo and follows a similar storyline. In the Cajun version, gumbo replaces sugar plums, Santa is dressed head to toe in muskrat pelts, and instead of reindeer and sleighs, alligators pull Santa in a flying skiff — a small boat used in coastal areas.

Christmas Traditions & Events

Lafayette

Lafayette rings of zydeco beats throughout the holiday season at their annual Cajun and Creole Christmas Celebrations. The celebrations include everything from Christmas markets, concerts, local eats, holiday window displays and caroling. You’ll want to check out Noel Acadien au Village to view more than 500,000 lights illuminating the night, LED displays, carnival rides, local cuisine and photos with Santa. The living history village of Vermilionville hosts Old Time Winter Traditions, a monthlong holiday celebration with decorations and demonstrations of arts and crafts of daily life in Acadiana, from candle and soap making to cooking, and even writing letters to Papa Noël! Check out this Lafayette event calendar for complete schedules and up-to-date information

Lake Charles & New Orleans

Out west in the Lake Charles area, enjoy the Light Up the Lake Christmas Celebration fireworks extravaganza, and Sulphur's Christmas Under the Oaks Festival at the Brimstome Museum Complex for carnival rides and holiday shopping. Head east to Louisiana’s Northshore for heartwarming holiday traditions. Here are 10 ways to celebrate Christmas in St. Tammany Parish. Be sure to make a short trip to New Orleans for Celebration in the Oaks, a tradition since the 1980s.

Delcambre, Thibodaux & Golden Meadow

Of course, every Louisiana celebration requires a parade. Check out the Delcambre Christmas Boat Parade, the Thibodaux Christmas Parade and the Golden Meadow Christmas Boat Parade and Gumbo Cook-Off.

Christmas Eve Bonfires

Additionally, every Christmas season on the Mississippi River levees above Highways 44 and 18, dozens of log structures are built for an enormous display of bonfires. Though traditionally these log piles are built to resemble narrow pyramids, local residents who build them get creative. You might see elaborate log cabins, trains or even swamp creatures. Fires are set on Christmas Eve in an absolutely breathtaking display. Learn more about the history of the bonfires.

Discover even more Christmas events in Northern Louisiana on the Holiday Trail of Lights, where you can tour seven cities across Central and Northern Louisiana.