Christmas in New Orleans

As anyone who lives in south Louisiana realizes, we are abundantly blessed to live in a unique part of the world. It follows that when the Christmas and Hanukkah season is concerned, our celebrations have their own uniqueness as well. The book Christmas in New Orleans captures this local flavor of the season past and present.

The title Christmas in New Orleans is a bit misleading because the text includes illuminating chapters on Hanukkah celebrations, and bonfires along River Road. The book would be a thoughtful gift and a delight for anyone over 40 who is nostalgic for and is familiar with New Orleans and the surrounding area’s Christmas traditions. Younger people who want to learn the traditions, including some delectable holiday recipes, of the Greater New Orleans area will find this book a joyful link to the past.

An interesting and unusual feature of the book is the sidebar stories, which are related to the topics discussed in the paragraphs of the main text. They feature interviews with local celebrities, entertainers, musicians and lesser known, but interesting characters. One of the more interesting sidebars tells the story of Mr. Bingle’s puppeteer, Mr. Oscar Isentrout, who entertained people on Bourbon Street with an “adult” puppet show on Bourbon St. prior to his move to the more lucrative “Bingle” days.

The best thing about Christmas in New Orleans (the book and the real thing) is that the celebrations do not end with New Year’s Day or even Epiphany, but continue into Twelfth Night, which brings king cake and the carnival season. The party never ends…