I'm originally from NOLA, now living in FL for many years.
This may give you some ideas:
Celebrate the holidays New Orleans style:
https://holiday.neworleans.com/?_ga=2.28555128.513582186.1658691213-761749030.1658691212
And
Nine ways the holidays are different in New Orleans:
https://holiday.neworleans.com/nine-ways-the-holidays-are-different-in-new-orleans/
It’s no secret that New Orleans is different from most places, and this certainly applies to how the city celebrates the holidays: stately homes are decked out to the max and, of course, there are plenty of gatherings where food is the main focus. But if you find yourself in NOLA around the holidays, you’re bound to come across a few unique celebrations. Here are a few of the colorful, interesting, and unusual aspects of New Orleans during the holiday season.
1. It’s not too cold here.
Some years, the city has experienced mild snow flurries, but most of the time Christmas (and winter in general) is mild in New Orleans. With the average low for December at 45 degrees Fahrenheit and the average high at 65 degrees, our weather can’t be beat. We can’t boast the allure of a White Christmas like somewhere up north, but there’s a real advantage of getting out and about in the city without gloves and a heavy coat. However, when it is chilly, we’ve got something for that.
2. You can walk around with a hot cocktail.
Around this time of year, New Orleans bars are big on offering festive hot cocktails, and because we can drink outside here, you can have one as a warming walking companion. A favorite from the list is the hot Irish coffee from Erin Rose, a fantastic bar at 811 Conti St. popular with both locals and tourists alike. What better way to take in the Christmas lights around town, go caroling in Jackson Square, or take in the holiday spirit than with a hot adult beverage in hand? Better yet, we’ve mapped it all out for you: check out our holiday cocktail crawl through the French Quarter
here.
3. New Orleans loves festive cold cocktails, too.
The sweet and slightly spicy brandy milk punch is a popular holiday beverage here. Make a batch and have it out on Christmas morning – it has milk in it, so it’s acceptable to have early in the day. Take a look at some of our other favorite holiday cocktails
here.
4. There’s a holiday cat circus.
A much-anticipated holiday tradition is the yearly visit from the
Acro-Cats, a traveling band of trained rescue cats, for their “Meowy Catmas” special with performances just for Mew Orleans. Proving that cats can be trained, the show features felines doing tricks and playing music in the “Rock Cats” band. The show has garnered a bit of a cult following in New Orleans over the years. Combining humor with cat tricks, the human ladies of the Acro-Cats provide a super fun evening for both you and their furry friends. Catch the show throughout December at the AllWays Lounge.
5. Visit homes decorated for the holidays.
Each December, the Preservation Resource Center and Patio Planters conduct
holiday home tours featuring decorated homes in the French Quarter and Garden District. Simply driving through the city, you’ll come across multiple homes decorated for the holidays with bright lights, poinsettias, and wreaths. Join one of the guided tours, or go on a self-guided tour throughout New Orleans this holiday season.
6. We have an indoor ice skating rink.
It’s a part of
NOLA ChristmasFest — a massive indoor celebration of all things Christmas that includes holiday characters, an ice slide, and an indoor ice skating rink. There’s also a Christmas tree display, which features more than 70 decorated trees.
7. You can get a Christmas king cake.
Carnival purists may scoff at the idea of eating king cake before Twelfth Night (January 6), the official beginning of Carnival, but if you’ve got a craving, you can get a seasonal version from
Haydel’s Bakery. The famous
Manny Randazzo King Cakes are also a great option if you want to indulge your Mardi Gras sweet-tooth at Christmastime.
8. We have a Christmas parade.
Another Carnival tradition crossing over into the holidays (that’s a little less controversial than an off-season king cake) is that of the parade – which is welcome any day in New Orleans. In a city that’s always in countdown mode to Mardi Gras, it’s a welcome sight to see the streets filled with people truly enjoying this time and place. The
Jingle on the Boulevard parade rolls in New Orleans East on Saturday, Dec. 18.
9. We have plenty of unique holiday traditions.
From Mr. Bingle – the city’s official holiday mascot – to
Réveillon meals to
bonfires for Papa Noel, New Orleans has plenty of holiday traditions that reflect its unique history and diverse population. No matter what part of the city you are in, the spectacle of a distinctly NOLA Christmas is all around.
Lagniappe
For more New Orleans holiday traditions, including information on holiday concerts, shopping, lights displays, and food and drink, as well as special hotel rates, visit
holiday.neworleans.com.
One more:
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS IN NEW ORLEANS:
https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/christmas/
December is one of the most wonderful times of the year in New Orleans with unique traditions, heart-warming special events, and dazzling decorations around every cobblestoned corner. Even our streetcars and steamboats are decked out for the holidays. Oh what fun they are to ride!
A highlight of the holiday season every year in New Orleans is the
bonfires on the levee, built to guide Papa Noël (Santa Claus). Another spectacular yule time site is
Candlelight Caroling in Jackson Square. Come gather in front of America’s oldest Cathedral and sing beloved holiday songs with amateurs and professionals alike.
Another must-experience is Celebration in the Oaks in City Park. Hop a train with your loved ones and experience 25 acres of holiday displays and 600-year-old live oak trees dripping in lights and Spanish Moss. Are you a Saints’ fan? Don’t miss the “Who Dat” tree.
But not all the fun is outside. Every year, historic French Quarter and Garden District mansions open their doors for holiday home tours and let the spirit of Christmas come in. This is your chance to get a behind-the-wrought-iron-fence view.
Other seasonal highlights include seeing the Nutcracker – the traditional ballet at the Orpheum or the Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Saenger. You can also enjoy indoor ice skating and ice sliding at NOLA ChristmasFest in the Convention Center. Experience holiday gospel in St. Louis Cathedral. Go Sailing with Santa on the Steamboat Natchez. Take Teddy Bear Tea at the Roosevelt. And shop for stocking stuffers in the French Quarter, the Arts Warehouse District and Magazine Street.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the holidays anywhere, much less New Orleans, without feasting. Here we celebrate with Réveillon dinners. Today the city’s best restaurants recreate a centuries-old Creole tradition with the decadent four-course holiday meals.
HOW WE SAY HAPPY HANUKKAH
New Orleans is a multicultural city so Christmas isn’t the only holiday we celebrate. The Jewish Regions Children Service presents “Latkes with a Twist” each year. The event has been named one of America’s most amazing Hanukkah parties by the Washington Post. And at The Jewish Community Center’s Community Chanukah Celebration there will be a Menorah lighting and you can nosh on latkes and fried chicken and enjoy a live folk music.
KWANZAA IN NEW ORLEANS
Every year in New Orleans, we celebrate Kwanzaa with the lighting of the candles, African dancing, drumming, poetry, singing, colorful clothing, fascinating speakers and job fairs. In past years, the New Orleans Kwanzaa Coalition has hosted a series of events around the celebration, highlighting Kwanzaa’s seven principals or Nguzo Saba: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith).
For more information about everything Holiday in New Orleans, head over to
Holidays New Orleans Style.
