holidays

Passover Seder, New Orleans Style

Maureen McMurray — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:39:23 +0000

This weekend churches in New Orleans will be packed for Easter services, but that’s not the only religious holiday being observed this week. It is also Passover, the eight-day Jewish festival that marks the liberation of enslaved Israelites from ancient Egypt over 3000 years ago.

Passover is the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday, and in New Orleans, celebrations take on their own flair.

Forget Fish Fridays: In Louisiana, Gator Is On The Lenten Menu

editor — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Is it OK to eat alligator on Fridays during Lent? That question isn't just rhetorical in Louisiana, which has large populations of both Catholics and gators.

"Alligator's such a natural for New Orleans," says Jay Nix, owner of Parkway Bakery, which serves a mean alligator sausage po boy sandwich. "Alligator gumbo, jambalaya. I mean, it's a wonder that alligator isn't our mascot, you know?"

Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, but seafood is allowed.

Mardi Gras Indians on St. Joseph's Day

Maureen McMurray — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:08:01 +0000

Tuesday was St. Joseph’s Day. Nominally a Catholic holiday, St Joseph’s Day is also a significant holiday for the city’s Mardi Gras Indians. Maureen McMurray has the story.

Cabbage Injuries Have Nothing To Do With Makin' Groceries

BRETT WILL TAYLOR — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:54:57 +0000

New Orleans prides itself on being different from the rest of the nation. Our food‘s different, our music’s different... even our humidity is different.

On top of 'dat, we tend to talk different, too. On today's Love NOLA, Brett Will Taylor weighs in on the New Orleans vernacular and suggests that, maybe, the way we talk reflects nothing more than the love for our city, and the secret code that goes with it.

Where Y'Eat: Food Seasons in the Dentist’s Chair

Ian McNulty — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:32:00 +0000

Some deeply-ingrained food traditions follow the seasons in Louisiana, and some dentists can read those seasons by the types of injuries they see in their patients’ mouths.

What Are You Learning During Mardi Gras?

Andre Perry — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:50:00 +0000

Mardi Gras season is upon us, which means there are more days that our children are not in school. Between Mardi Gras, Christmas, summer, fall and spring breaks, in-services and professional development days as well as inevitable storms, when are kids in school? Hard rain on the first day of school — cancel it. Have a winning football season — we’ll take off for that too. Absences due to New Orleans’ traditions combined with the archaic custom of an agrarian school calendar are self-imposed barriers to educational progress.

St. Bernard Plans Tree Collection

The Associated Press — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:49:55 +0000

Tossed-out Christmas trees will be picked up Monday through Thursday in St. Bernard Parish. Officials of the parish road department said tress must be at curbside and free of decorations.

The pick-up schedule shows:

Driver Mows Down Decorations at Holiday Party

The Associated Press — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:22:08 +0000

There were no reports of serious injuries, but a vehicle was damaged and several holiday decorations were mowed down in the front yard of a Kenner home when a disturbance broke out at a New Year's Eve house party.

Jesus Figure Stolen From Houma Nativity Scene

The Associated Press — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:48:12 +0000

Authorities say thieves stole some of the City of Houma's Christmas decorations, including a figure of the infant Jesus.

New Year’s Eve Traffic Restrictions and Safety Advisory

Jason Saul — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:31:27 +0000

The New Orleans Police Department has issued an advisory detailing restrictions on traffic this evening for downtown New Year’s Eve celebrations.