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Love is All – When Papa Noel Comes Along

Writer's picture: Donna HewlettDonna Hewlett
Cajun sugar cookies are Papa Noel's favorite!
Cajun sugar cookies are Papa Noel's favorite!

As Christmas nears, old and young alike look forward to a visit from Ole Saint Nick. However, throughout the world, Saint Nick is known by different names: Sinter Klass, Kris Kringle, and Father Christmas. As we spend our first Christmas in New Orleans, we learn another name of that jolly old man dressed in red. Papa Noel.


The Cajun legend of Papa Noel differs from our midwestern Santa Claus in a couple of ways. Instead of coming from the North Pole with his nine reindeer, he lives in the depths of the Louisiana bayou with his nine pet alligators. Instead of a sleigh, Papa Noel hitches his alligators to a pirogue, a type of Cajun boat. Like the reindeer, the alligators each have names: Gaston, Tiboy, Pierre, Alcee, Ninette, Suzette, Celeste, and Renee. And they are led by Nicollette, the snow white alligator with glowing green eyes that leads the team through dense fog instead of a snow blizzard. What doesn’t change at all are the toys and presents that Papa Noel brings to each good little girl and boy.


Bonfire set along the levees
Bonfire set along the levees

Sturdy bonfires light the way for Papa Noel, so not one child will be missed. The levees are aglow with light and communities up and down the Mississippi engage in celebration. The bonfires are created days ahead of Christmas Eve and involve skill to erect them. Some bonfires soar as high as 20 feet.


In the end, the name really doesn’t matter because the spirit of Christmas remains the same around the world. A time when we focus on the gifts of love, peace, and joy that come with the birth of a tiny baby in a manger.


May the light of Christmas love burn bright for you and your family.


To find out more about Cajun Christmas traditions, check out this link: https://thebayouinsider.substack.com/p/a-cajun-christmas-traditions-unique



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© 2024 Donna Hewlett. 

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