Holidays are all about tradition. Since I hate the holidays, my tradition is to escape them on an adventure. Dubbed my #GrinchGetaway, usually I embark on a solo trip to Europe. But last year my parents joined me to spend Christmas in New Orleans. While the Big Easy is more famous as a Mardi Gras destination, spending the holidays there was awesome.
New Orleans is an incredible city any time of year, with plenty to do and plenty to eat! So add holiday festivities, parades, over-the-top decorations, culinary traditions, and warm weather, and you get why spending Christmas in New Orleans almost convinced me to enjoy the holiday. (Key word there is almost!) Here are 6 reasons to spend Christmas in New Orleans.
6 Reasons to Spend Christmas in New Orleans
1. New Orleans Knows How to Deck the Halls
It should be no surprise that a city like New Orleans — with brightly colored houses, iconic iron balconies, and its own style of architecture — knows how to decorate for the holidays. Those balconies are draped with garlands that light up at night, hotel lobbies are lined with Christmas trees, and houses are covered in decorations. Wandering the different neighborhoods of New Orleans is always entertaining, but wandering New Orleans during Christmas is even more so.
2. Celebrate with a Traditional Réveillon Dinner
There’s no shortage of good food in New Orleans, which has a culinary culture all its own. But there’s one culinary custom unique to the holidays: the Réveillon Dinner. (Pronounced REV-ee-on, it’s French for “awakening.”) The tradition stems from French colonists in the 19th Century who would fast all day before Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, then celebrate with a feast afterward. The hours-long feast usually featured breakfast dishes, plus turtle soup, oysters, and lots of alcohol. (It’s New Orleans, after all!)
Today the tradition of Réveillon continues, except much earlier in the day and with more dinner-focused dishes. Usually traditional Creole dishes are served, but all kinds of restaurants participate. Réveillon is meant to be celebrated with large groups, so grab your friends and family and enjoy a holiday feast.
3. It’s (Relatively) Warm Weather
As someone who grew up in Utah, I understand the beauty of a white Christmas. But as someone who now lives in Chicago and isn’t the biggest fan of cold weather, I truly understand the desire of a warm Christmas! One of the (many) draws of spending Christmas in New Orleans is the weather. It was around 60 degrees most of our trip, with Christmas Day topping out at 67 degrees!
And Christmas without a coat beats a white Christmas in my book!
4. Christmas in New Orleans is Less Crowded
New Orleans is not known for being a quiet, empty city. But right around Christmas, it was exactly that! Bourbon Street on Christmas was eerily empty. Since it was my first time there, I wondered why everyone said it’s so crazy.
Then the crowds slowly started to build as New Year’s Eve got closer. Many people don’t think to spend Christmas in New Orleans, but for New Year’s Eve it’s an easy choice. And there were definitely crowds and craziness on and around New Year’s Eve!
5. You’re Already There for New Year’s Parade and the Sugar Bowl
One of the reasons New Orleans got so crowded towards New Year’s Eve was the Sugar Bowl fans began to arrive. The Sugar Bowl, the college bowl game held in New Orleans every year, brings in 70,000 fans. And the best part is the entire city picks one of the teams to support, so restaurants and bars fly team flags for each team.
Even if you don’t attend the football game on New Year’s Day, the Sugar Bowl Parade on New Year’s Eve is a fun (free!) experience. The parade passes through the French Quarter with bands, floats, and performances. And, of course, plenty of Mardi Gras beads!
6. New Orleans is Unlike Anywhere Else in the World
New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in the country, if not the world. The Big Easy is a combination of Native American, French, and Spanish influence, so it has a culture all its own and even a cuisine all its own. It’s saturated with history, with the largest collection of antebellum architecture in the world, and it’s the birthplace of jazz.
What I’m saying is there’s plenty to entertain you even while spending Christmas in New Orleans! (If you need ideas, here’s what to do in New Orleans.)
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Related :: Where to Eat Iconic New Orleans Dishes, What to Do in New Orleans, A Guide to Plantations in Louisiana
I’ve always wanted to visit, seems like a pretty fun city especially around the holidays