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Ashes and Rubble: Rebuilding New Orleans After the Great Fire of 1788

It seems no matter where they’re located in the world, every major city has suffered through a devastating fire. While some of the more famous blazes took place in Chicago and London, New Orleans has had several of its own. The largest of these took place in 1788, and the Great Conflagration of New Orleans […]

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With a Bit o’Luck: The History of the Irish in New Orleans

Posted: Feb 19,2021Catholic Culture history Irish New Orleans History St. Patrick's Day

When one thinks of New Orleans, images of brilliantly colored parade floats and boisterous second lines may spring to mind. Or maybe it’s a vision of the French Quarter with its bright pastel Spanish-style townhouses and Creole cottages. The idea of Gothic Irish architecture and huge St. Patrick’s Day parades is probably the last thing […]

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The Meeting of the Courts: When Rex Met Comus

Posted: Jan 16,2021Carnival Comus history Krewes Mardi Gras New Orleans New Orleans culture New Orleans History Rex Tradition

While Mardi Gras is known for its lavish parades and costumed revelry, there is also an air of romance and mystery which is sometimes overlooked. Though thousands gather to watch elaborate floats pass by, crying out for various trinkets, few give thought to the royalty waving at the crowds. Masked or bare-faced, the Royal Courts […]

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Adapt or Die: How Mardi Gras Narrowly Avoided Being Outlawed

Posted: Jan 16,2021Carnival Krewe Krewes Mardi Gras Mardi Gras Parades New Orleans History

No one does Mardi Gras like New Orleans. We’re known worldwide for our lavish displays of excess in the parades, costumes, and parties that abound during Carnival season. King Cake parties and days of eating gumbo with family give way to the final spectacle of Fat Tuesday when Zulu and Rex rule the day and […]

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Twelfth Night and The Feast of the Epiphany

Posted: Dec 18,202012 Days of Christmas Christmas Epiphany history King Cake New Orleans History Three Wise Men

Many consider December 25th and Christmas Day to be the end of the Christmas season. Trees and decorations are taken down before the new year begins and the idea of continuing to feast after that belly-busting Christmas dinner is unthinkable. But for those who know the 12 Days of Christmas as more than a seasonal […]

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How a Bluff and a Battle Shaped New Orleans

Posted: Dec 18,20201812 Andrew Jackson Battle of New Orleans bienville history iberville Jean Lafitte New Orleans New Orleans History

New Orleans. Lawrence N. Powell calls it “The Accidental City” in his book of the same name. Peirce Lewis memorably named it “an impossible but inevitable city” in his book, New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape. Both men have a point. New Orleans was and is a very unlikely place. We sit in […]

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Kringle Cake: A Long Way from There to Here

Posted: Nov 16,2020Austria Bakery Denmark Germany history Immigration Kringle Cake New Orleans New Orleans History

In a world of elaborately decorated buttercream and fondant cakes, the Kringle is easy to overlook. At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than an oversized iced Danish or maybe a flattened King Cake. But look closer and you’ll notice dozens of flaky, lighter than air layers under that smear of icing. Hiding […]

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Visions of Christmas Past on Canal Street

Posted: Nov 16,2020Canal Street Christmas history Holidays New Orleans History New Orleans Traditions

Canal Street in New Orleans is a magical place at Christmas. Snow appears in Fulton Alley despite temperatures often being a balmy 70 degrees, streetcars and lamp posts bear wreaths, and thousands upon thousands of lights glow throughout the giant live oaks of City Park. Countless people take in these sights every year, often stopping […]

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Take a Streetcar Tour for the Holidays

Posted: Nov 13,2020Celebration in the Oaks Christmas Lights New Orleans New Orleans History St. Charles Streetcar

If you’ve ever been in New Orleans for the holidays, you know the city loves to dress itself in all the finery of the season. It seems every home is jeweled and crowned by twinkling lights while oak and palm trees are swathed with wreaths and ribbons. To truly appreciate the festive displays this winter, […]

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Creators of Culture: The History of the Faubourg Treme

Posted: Nov 06,2020Civil Rights Culture Bearers Jazz Mardi Gras Indians New Orleans culture New Orleans History Skull and Bone Gang Treme

Few neighborhoods in the world can take credit for as many culturally groundbreaking events as New Orleans’ own Faubourg Treme. Though it occupies only a small area of the city, the Treme has had a mighty impact worldwide through the invention of Jazz, initiating the first Civil Rights movement in the United States, and by […]

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