Louisiana Christmas Traditions

LE RÉVEILLON & BONFIRES ON THE MISSISSIPPI

STORY BY CHEF JOHN D. FOLSE AND MICHAELA D. YORK

Le réveillon (the awakening), the morning feast following midnight Mass on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, is an age-old custom inherited by Louisiana Creoles from their European ancestors. Réveillon was a time of family reunion and thanksgiving, which began early in the evening with family members converging on households for hours of conversation. Around 11 p.m., church bells began to ring, inviting families to stroll through the French Quarter to St. Louis Cathedral for Christmas Mass. A man might miss any service during the year, but he would be certain to join his family for midnight Mass at Christmas. Christmas Eve was recognized as a day of fasting and abstinence by most Catholics. By the end of midnight Mass, the Creoles were hungry and ready to celebrate with a réveillon feast.…

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Louisiana Cookin' (Digital) - 1 Issue, November/December 2024

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