Lafayette is a festive city. It is the capital of a region unlike any other in the United States. Everything is accented by the French history and heritage of the area. It is the heart and soul of the Cajun culture. CAJUN is derived from Acadian.
For the Cajun people, the great adventure began in 1755 when Canada changed hands from the French to the British. The French Acadians were uprooted from Acadie, the area which is now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in eastern Canada, because they refused to swear allegiance to the Anglican church and crown.
The Acadians were a very devout people who had left Europe years before to escape persecution for their Catholic beliefs. During the exile, also known as Le Grand Derangement, families were separated and more than half of the Acadians lost their lives. Some of the exiles settled along the eastern seaboard of the United States.However, most Acadian settlers followed the path that led to New Orleans. There they received a hostile greeting from the aristocracy and decided to head west into unsettled territory where they could live their lives according to their own beliefs and customs.
The Cajuns were not the only people in the area; the Creoles were also settlers of South Central Louisiana. The Creole culture was based upon a distinct blending of African, West Indian and European cultures. These settlers were strongly influenced by island customs and religions. Descendants of the Creole settlers are still abundant in New Orleans and the eastern portion of South Central Louisiana.
The lush, primitive beauty of Acadiana is appreciated by people from all parts of the world. The beauty is produced by the combinations of our subtropical climate and the geography of our land. Bayous meander along throughout the area. Southern Acadiana has both marshes and swamps. Chenieres,Oak covered ridges that are remnants of ancient Gulf of Mexico beaches, are located along the coast. The land and climate determine what can be planted, as well as what is available naturally, such as herbs, seafood and game.
The Acadians took their French culinary heritage, adapted it to the foods that were available,put in a dab of colonial Spain and a pinch of native Indian, seasoned to taste with a little African and produced the Cajun Food for which this region is so deservedly famous. Favorite Cajun dishes include jambalaya, gumbo, turtle sauce piquante, and andouille sausage,boudin, soft-shell crab, a hundred shrimp dishes, crawfish bisque, crawfish pie and dozens more. But perhaps the most delicious of all is crawfish etouffee, a rich, delectable blending of crawfish and seasoning served over rice. Cajun food is very spicy
. One taste just won't be enough!!!
Any Cajun will tell you that even the best food tasted better when enjoyed in good company with good MUSIC. The expression joie de vivre sums up the Cajuns' desire to enjoy life to the fullest. A good place to do this at a fais-do-do. The fais-do-do began as a dance in the home, where one room was set aside for the babies, who were told to fais-do-do.Now, a fais-do-do is a dance held in the street or dance hall, and few bother to fais-do-do. The roots of the rhythmic music go back to medieval France, but Cajun music has evolved into a distinctive form. Most is not written, but is passed down from generation to generation orally. The songs are usually either very sad or very happy, with simple lyrics and music that makes your feet want to dance. The original instruments were the fiddle and the triangle. They were later supplemented by the accordion, introduced by the Germans, and later still by guitars, drums and harmonicas. Cajun musicians are not full-time professionals; they work during the week and play music on the weekends. Some of the best places to go to hear traditional Cajun music and experience fais-do-do are: Prejeans in Carencro, Fred's Lounge in Mamou, and Harry's Club,La Poussiere, and Mulate's in Breaux Bridge.
Another popular music is Zydeco. It is the most contemporary expression of black Creole music developed from the same set of influence as Cajun music with a heavier dose of Afro-Caribbean rhythms and style . Born out of a music called lala, Zydeco is said to have originated from many sources, but the influence of blues and soul music is most significant in its modern development. Zydeco bands are characterized by primarily the use of the frotoir (metal washboard) played with thimbles, spoons or bottle openers.
The music of the Acadians and their joie de vivre are expressions of the carefree side of their character. But the Acadians are also determined, hardworking people with a deep pride in themselves and their heritage and way of life. Cajuns believe that there are things worth having and fighting for as indicated by the expression, lache pas la patate. Cajuns are close to their families,even including third and fourth cousins. Friends are called cher.
Welcome to Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Our party is the biggest statewide celebration you and your family will ever attend. Your big decision is: where do you want to celebrate? Because there's plenty of variety.
An observer once said that New Orleanians are either having a party, recuperating from a party, or planning a party. The biggest and best party of all and the city's most famous celebration is Mardi Gras, "the greatest free show on earth." Mardi Gras dates back to 1837 when the first street parade took place. The carnival season begins January 6th (12 days after Christmas) on the Twelfth Night with the first of nearly 100 private masked balls. The dazzling Mardi Gras parades feature marching bands and elaborate papier mache floats with maskers tossing trinkets, beads and doubloons to the crowd. On Mardi Gras Day, the day before Ash Wednesday, the largest and longest parades are held. Rex, King of Carnival, is a prominent businessman, chosen by secret committee. His Queen is always a debutante of the current season. On Mardi Gras day, everyone joins in the costuming, young and old alike, resident and tourist.
It is Louisiana's premiere party season! It's time to enjoy life, party, and have a good time! It's irresistibly fun, vibrant, sarcastic, and sassy! If you understand how this city hums during the day and sings at night, you may be able to envision its celebration of Mardi Gras. Perhaps it's the anticipation of the merriment, the excitement of catching throws, the extravaganza of the parades, getting dressed up in costume, or going to a Ball -- but a frame of mind takes over the Big Easy and says "forget your problems and have fun!"
Showers of beads, candy and doubloons. Magnificent floats with colorfully costumed characters. Marching bands, majorettes and gaiety beyond compare.
New Orleans, Louisiana's largest city and the birthplace of Louisiana Mardi Gras, undoubtedly boasts the largest celebration. A huge street party begins in the French Quarter weeks before "Fat Tuesday" and culminates in the magnificent parades with larger-than-life floats that often make the major network news broadcasts. For sheer excitement, this experience is beyond compare.
If you want a smaller more family-style celebration, your options are many and equally wonderful. All the major cities in Louisiana -- Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Houma and Baton Rouge -- plus many of the smaller towns hold their own Mardi Gras festivals. Here, you will find parades on a smaller scale but not nearly so packed. And your kids will have the great opportunity to catch the beads and deubloons that make this holiday so much fun. Many of these celebrations are also accompanied by fairs with rides, food and music to please everyone.
There is another kind of Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana and this one, found in towns like Mamou, Iota and Ossun, most closely resembles the European festival from the Middle Ages from which our Mardi Gras descended. This is called the "Courir De Mardi Gras" which translates loosely into "the running of the Mardi Gras." Masked horsemen leave from the center of town at dawn. They ride a wide circuit through the surrounding countryside, stopping at designated homes where they dismount and perform various antics in exchange for live chickens, vegetables, seasonings and other ingredients for a huge communal gumbo. At the end of their ride, they return to the center of town and the ingredients are cooked into a delicious gumbo shared by all. Which will you choose?
When you're ready for the big experience, you'll need to know when it will be! You'll find the big day can fall on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9. Carnival celebration starts on January 6, the Twelfth Night (feast of Epiphany); and picks up speed until Midnight on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. How will you know which Tuesday it will be? Mardi Gras is always 40 days plus 6 Sundays before Lent. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25 with the exact date to coincide with the first Sunday after the full moon following a Spring Equinox! There you have it! Voila!
Crawfish are found in many places in the world, but it took the Cajuns to appreciate and popularize the delicious taste of this small fresh water cousin of the lobster. Crawfish can be found everywhere in Louisiana, including rice fields, lakes and puddles. Louisiana's main sources of crawfish are the Atchafalaya Basin and the many commercial ponds in which thery are cultivated. Lousiana produces 90 percent of the crawfish in the world.
Approximately 165,000 people live in Lafayette parish and of these, 95,000 live within the city limits. Lafayette serves as the metropolitan area for an eight parish region in the heart of Cajun Country.
Fais-do-do: Literally means " go to sleep." This phrase was whispered by French-speaking Cajun mothers to their children. Once the Children had fallen asleep and were placed out of harm's way, the parents could join in the dances.
Lafayette has a modern airport serviced by American, Continental, Northwest and Delta Airlines from Dallas, Houston, Memphis, and Dallas, respectively.
Mileage Chart to Lafayette
City
Mileage
City
Mileage
Atlanta
592
Houston
222
Austin
386
Hattiesburg
202
Beaumont
138
Jackson
236
Birmingham
423
Jacksonville
662
Brownsville
572
Little Rock
357
Charleston
891
Memphis
449
Charlotte
817
Mobile
252
Columbia
891
Nashville
630
Dallas
402
Natchez
132
Fort Worth
421
Orlando
741
Gulfport
189
Tallahassee
496
From Louisiana Cities
City
Mileage
City
Mileage
Alexandria
89
Monroe
184
Baton Rouge
52
New Orleans (Hwy 90)
New Orleans (I-10)165
129Lake Charles
71
Shreveport
213