Creole Christmas in New Orleans

Southern Living, Dec 2002 by Campbell, Dana Adkins

Hotel rates go down. Decorations go up. And the calendar overflows with fun holiday activitiesmany of them free.

In the Big Easy, they don't call him Santa Claus. Instead, they look to Papa Noel for their holiday treats. And from the first day of December until Sugar Bowl fans arrive, his bag is indeed full with low hotel prices (many drop below $100), free concerts, caroling events, and chefs' cooking demonstrations. Nearly 30 of the city's good restaurants feature affordable multicourse menus called reveillon dinners-served all month long-reminiscent of this town's Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve home-feasting traditions from the mid-1800s. 10.

You can tour several historic French Quarter homes impressively dressed in the season's decorations and offering an enlightening glimpse into the past. Or you might cross items off your shopping list in endless stores-from antiques to contemporary. Consider watching weekend parades (free) or taking your children to a Nutcracker-- style tea at the swanky Ritz-Carlton (not a bargain, but a memorable experience). Your options fill a 70-page booklet listing the monthlong festivities, including reveillon menus and prices. To get a copy, call 1-800-6735725. You can also find details at www. christmasneworleans.com.

You'll stay busy and entertained whether you come midweek or on the weekend. And you'll save so much on the hotels. (Rates only fall this low again in summer heat.) Here's a sample of the fim we found last December for a few days in New Orleans. Pack your bags, promise you've been good all year, and ask Papa Noel for a little holiday getaway. He'll nod with a twinkle in his eye and grant your wish.

Music's Joyful Noise

If you're walking around Jackson Square around 8 p.m., you may notice the open doors of The Saint Louis Cathedral with voices in song pouring forth. Nearly every night between December 1 and 23, you'll find a free concert here. You're welcome to wander in (casual clothes are fine) and sit awhile. I happened upon a gospel concert and enjoyed the juxtaposition of loud, lively music in the serene, aged church. Out in the square on Sunday evening, December 22, get a song sheet and a candle, and join Caroling in Jackson Square, a 56-year-old tradition that is free and open to the public.

Eats and Treats

New Orleans always celebrates life with great food. But during this season, it's a citywide feast with reveillon menus. This ritual comes from kitchens of the 1800s, when families made Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve special around their tables. Now, almost 30 restaurants offer-in addition to their regular menus-a prix fixe, multicourse dinner. Prices range from $20 to $75 a person. Out of the many places serving these dinners, we especially like Arnaud's, Upperline, and Palace Cafe, whose sweet ending fills a mini gingerbread cottage with pumpkin mousse.

Almost every afternoon at 3, you can watch one of the Big Easy's chefs prepare a favorite recipe at Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre on the corner of Jackson Square. Demonstrations are free. (Arrive early; latecomers aren't admitted.) >

If you're traveling with little ones and want a fancy experience, take them to a Nutcracker-style tea at The Ritz-Canton on Saturdays, November 30 through December 21, between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended. The cost for adults and children is $22.

Sights of the Season

No matter your age, don't miss the mind-blowing Angel Hair Christmas Lobby at The Fairmont hotel. The lobby stretches an entire city block, and during the holidays it becomes a nostalgic wonderland of wispy clouds, glittering ornaments, lights, Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, and more.

For a calmer and more retrospective look at the city's holiday decorations, tour several homes from centuries past in the French Quarter. Both the Gallier House Museum and the Hermann-- Grima House point out the surprising fact that long ago Christmas Eve and Day were minor, quiet family holidays with small gifts. It was New Year's Eve and Day that were celebrated with big presents and lots of visitors. Gentlemen brought ladies paper cornucopias filled with candy and nuts, which the women then left strewn on the parlor table so subsequent visitors could note their previous callers.

At the Beauregard-Keyes House, stories of its earlier inhabitants fascinate more than the decor. Starting in 1865, Confederate general P. G. T. Beauregard lived here for 18 months, and novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes spent winters writing here for 25 years. This is another good stop for shopping. The gift store carries many of her books, which are hard to find.