Need the marriage, birthdates and parents of: Charles Gilbault m. Anne Bourg Child: Marie-Anne m. 26 Nov 1731 in Acadia Pierre Michel (need birthdates for this couple) Thanks Jackie

Hi all I am seeking the marriAge datE, parents and children of GREGOIRE RICHARD M. HELENE HEBERT. Also need the birthdate of their daughter, MARIE, m. 25 Sep 1768 in Trois Rivieres, JEAN-BAPTISTE DOUCET

"Turning The Hearts of The Children" Saturday, January 24, 2004 9:00AM -3:30PM Sponsored by: The Lafayette Ward Family History Center and it's Consultants. Located at: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 116 East Bluebird Drive, Lafayette, LA 70508 This is a free all day conference with over 20 different classes being presented. Speakers including professionals from the Louisiana Chapter of the Association for Professional Genealogists, UL and Lafayette Public librarians, UL Archivist, LSU family History Educator, court house professionals, etc. Classes will be presented for the beginner as well as the advanced. And will include such topics as: Beginning Genealogy; Beyond Basic Research; Cemetery Research1&2; Organizing Your Paper Files; Genealogy on the Internet; Louisiana Court Houses; Getting Past a Dead End; Researching Vital Records; Beginning African American Research; Free Men of Color; Tax Records; Other Than Federal Population Census; Interpreting and Transcribing old Documents…just to name a few!! ++++No Registration Required!++++++ "Lunch will be served for a minimal fee" Please RSVP by January 17, 2004 if you plan to have lunch. Contact: Cindy Hofmeister, Coordinator. (337)288-7278

Hi Listers, If anyone had ancestors or family members who fought in WWI, there may be photos that exist that you are not aware of. Within the past few months, I accidentally found a site that restores old military photos and sells them at a very reasonable cost. I have been able to purchase a photo of the WWI Yankee Division Final Review that was held April 22nd, 1919 as well as the Yankee Division’s 102nd Supply Company. My father is in both of these photos and quite visible in the Supply Company photo taken just before they shipped out to France. The web site for this company is: http://www.zazzle.com/products/gallery/browse_results.asp You can also check the Library of Congress site to see if there are photos there of the division or company one of your ancestors may have fought in – if it is on the Library of Congress site but Zazzle does not have it, they may well purchase it, restore it and offer it for purchase as they did the Supply Co photo for me. As you may well imagine, what they have provided me with is invaluable. I thought I should pass on this information. The photos can also be purchased from the Library of Congress. I did phone them first but the cost was quite prohibitive and the photos are “as is” and are not restored so I declined. Then I accidentally found Zazzle. What a great find! ;o) Lucie Lucie LeBlanc Consentino Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home www.acadian-home.org <http://www.acadian-home.org/> Am-Can Gen Soc www.acgs.org <http://www.acgs.org/> CMA 2004 - www.cma2004.com Grand-Pré - http://www.grand-pre.com/ www.umoncton.ca/etudeacadiennes/centre/cea.html <http://www.umoncton.ca/etudeacadiennes> <http://www.grand-pre.com/>

Hello List, Does anyone know if the new Canadian prime minister Paul Martin descends from any of the Acadian MARTIN lines? Karen Theriot Reader KATheriot@aol.com

I am looking to correspond with any and/or all people planning to attend the Landry Family Re-union scheduled for August 7, 8, 9, 2004 in the town of Windsor, Nova Scotia (Ancient Pisaquid, Acadia). I plan to attend and would like to discuss the Landry Genealogy and historic places of Interest in Windsor and neighboring Falmouth, Nova Scotia. Windsor is where the remains of Fort Edward, the point where many Landrys were deported in October 1755, is located and where the church parish L'Assomption wa located. In neighboring Falmouth, where the remnants of the church of "La pariosse de la Sainte Famille de Pisiquid are located as well as the church cemetery, where the remains of the ancestors of many Landrys are buried. Falmouth is also the place where at least 3 Landry villages, and the remains of some of the homes can be found. Please e-mail me at: don2717@aol.com or don2717@cox.net. Don Landry P.S. I am a descendant of Firmin Landry and his son Joseph Landry who were deported to Maryland in October, 1755. After an exile of approximately 11 years, Firmin and his children traveled to Louisiana, where the were estabilished in the area of present day St. Martinville, Louisiana. Firmin Landry was the descendant of René Landry and Marie bernard through Germain Landry m Marie Melanson and Alexandre Landry m Marguerite Blanchard.

TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY I WISH YOU LOTS OF FUN, GOOD FOOD AND PRESENTS WITH LOVED ONES! AS YOU GATHER THIS HOLY DAY, PLEASE REMEMBER CHRIST ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND OUR TROOPS AROUND THE WORLD! I PRAY FOR PEACE ON EARTH AND I WISH EACH OF YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! LINDA LOUVIERE d'AMOURS

Forwarded to the list by admin. -----Original Message----- From: Dorothy Boyd [mailto:dotboyd@cox-internet.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 7:34 PM To: ACADIAN-CAJUN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: {not a subscriber} Info on Avoyelles Parish Hi, My name is Dorothy Boyd. My grandparents were married in Avoyelles Parish in 1898. Her name was Nellie Cain and he was Zack Kimbal (possibly Kimble). Grandmother was born in Naples, La in 1877 and with an older brother was left at an orphans home somewhere in that area when she was just a todler, where she lived untill she was 16. I would love to know the names and location of orphan homes during that period. I know less about my grandfather. We think he was from a family of fishermen that was possibly well to do, and may have been disowned when he married. He had been married before my grandmother and had a young daughter named Maud. I would appreciate any help that you might give me. Maybe you can refer me to a message board where someone of like interest might be. I tried posting on a board with John W. Barron but he tells me that he no longer lives in La. and can't help me but refered me to you. Thank You, Dorothy Boyd 4126 Primrose Ln Paris, Tx 75462 903-784-8298 dotboyd@cox-internet.com

To all my Acadian & Cajun Cousins Merry Christmas, may You and your family be blessed in the coming year. May those genealogical brick walls come crashing down. James

Hi there cousins and friends, Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Let's all pray for the safety and well being of our troops oversea's this holiday season and for the safety and well being of our terrific United States. Talk to you all next year! Kathie Jacobsen Wilcox

Hi all, this is a long stretch but here goes. This is going back a bit to 1886. Is anyone familiar with the name of a coroner named Dr. W. M. Thompson? He would have been coroner during that time. Also, there was a Dr. Todd in the Bayou Mallet area too. Does anyone know how to get an actual coroner's record for 1886? Did they have formal coroner records then? Please let me know. Thank you, Theresa M. Mosby Researching: IN LOUISIANA: CESAIRE/CEASER/CESAR/CAESAR/NUGENT/VICTORIAN/DUROUSSEAU/GUILLORY/FREEMAN IN FLORIDA: CAMBRIDGE/GARVIN/REYNOLDS IN VIRGINIA & PENNSYLVANIA: MOSBY/POSTLES

Brian, Victor was alive on April 4, 1868 when his son Alhonse Denis was born [SLR, v.4]. Your gg-gmth Marie Celeste was bn. 3/11/1866. Hen was shown as deceased on 10/31/1874 when his daughter, Victoria Marie [her mother was Celeste Guidry] m. Eugene Louis Boutier [SLR, v.5]. He died between April 4, 1868 and 10/31/1874 and most likely before 1870 since you couldn't find him on the 1870 census. His death isn't recorded in the SLR records or in the Thibodeaux weekly papers so he most likely died elsewhere. Stanley LeBlanc http://www.thecajuns.com -----Original Message----- From: Bri4Bri@aol.com [mailto:Bri4Bri@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 12:54 AM To: ACADIAN-CAJUN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [ACADIAN-CAJUN] looking for death date and place buried? does anyone know when Victor Bouterie/Boutary/Bouteri son of Antoine Bouterie and Marie Hebert die? and where? He was 1st married to Celeste Guidry in Thibodaux and 2nd to Anatolie Chappuis (my ggg grandmother) they were married in 1864 in Thibodaux and It seems all his children with his 1st wife and 2nd wife were born in Thibodaux.... Anyone have more info. or related to any members of this family? Any pictures around of any of these ancestors? Their daughter Marie Celeste b. Mar 11, 1866 is my gg grandmother, she married Samuel J. Barrosse.... Also, I can NOT find these family members on the 1860 or the 1870 census..... ;( thanks, cheers, peace and happy holidays! brian w williams new orleans ==== ACADIAN-CAJUN Mailing List ==== http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/CAN/ACADIAN-CAJUN.html This is the link to our archives. You may search or browse. Also, subscribe or unsubscribe and contact admin. ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

Sorry in my last message I said I could not find the family of Victor Bouterie in the 1860 and 1870 census, that was in error, I DO have the 1860 census, his first wife Celeste was still alive and there were married in HH with their children, however its the 1870 and 1880 census that I can NOT find.... thanks again, brian :)

does anyone know when Victor Bouterie/Boutary/Bouteri son of Antoine Bouterie and Marie Hebert die? and where? He was 1st married to Celeste Guidry in Thibodaux and 2nd to Anatolie Chappuis (my ggg grandmother) they were married in 1864 in Thibodaux and It seems all his children with his 1st wife and 2nd wife were born in Thibodaux.... Anyone have more info. or related to any members of this family? Any pictures around of any of these ancestors? Their daughter Marie Celeste b. Mar 11, 1866 is my gg grandmother, she married Samuel J. Barrosse.... Also, I can NOT find these family members on the 1860 or the 1870 census..... ;( thanks, cheers, peace and happy holidays! brian w williams new orleans

Hi All, According to SAW and DFGA, p. 46 and the English Translations, p. 10. ii: Rene Aucoin, his wife and all their children with the exception of their eldest daughter, were amoung the Acadian Families on Isle-St-Jean who disappeared without a trace after 1758. Following a through investigation of the matter ie is presumed that they were among the unfortunate passangers on board one of the two English transports that were lost at sea." My questions is - has anyone out there found any connections to Marie Magdeleine Aucoin? Thanks in advance. See detail below: 15. Marie Magdeleine AUCOIN - 3195, d/o Rene (Renauchon) AUCOIN - 26 & Magdeleine MICHEL - 25, b. About 1738 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Andy Scott

Hi Mike – my post yesterday stated that Pré Rhonde meant Round Meadow…and that Pierre Thibodeau had settled in Chipoudy which today is Hopewell, N.B. Now I realize that you were talking of an earlier settlement in Nova Scotia that is known today as Round Hill. However, it came to be called that amazes me because a Pré is still a meadow <smile>… Of course, some of the English names given places in the Maritimes have nothing to do with what the name was originally and many places were simply renamed by the English who governed the area. Sorry if I caused any confusion for listers. Lucie LeBlanc Consentino Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home www.acadian-home.org <http://www.acadian-home.org/> Am-Can Gen Soc www.acgs.org <http://www.acgs.org/> CMA 2004 - www.cma2004.com Grand-Pré - http://www.grand-pre.com/ www.umoncton.ca/etudeacadiennes/centre/cea.html <http://www.umoncton.ca/etudeacadiennes> <http://www.grand-pre.com/>

Who was LeBorgne? Who was d'Aulnay? Who was Latour? In early Acadian history, d'Aulnay, or Latour, or later, LeBorgne, was a villain? That's answering a question with a question. There were several of them. Both (or all of them) (judging by their acts) certainly, had redeeming qualities. Who was better or worse? The question first came up in that time period. Since, many writers have taken sides. Read enough writers of Acadian history, and you come to the conclusion that there are several sides to the question. There are zero Acadian descendants of d'Aulnay. Latour has defenders. LeBorgne (or the LeBorgnes) need none. There are numerous, perhaps millions of Acadian descendants of Latour, none of whom should accept at face value that it was their ancestor who between the lines set the stage for much of the misery later suffered by Acadians. Read Abbe Azarie Couillard Despres, Clarence Joseph D'Entremont, M. A. MacDonald, Jesuit Relations, or even Deny, Winthrop, Bradford, or Hutchinson, and find an ancestor to make you proud. Online, Blupete, History of Nova Scotia, is concise, comprehensive, fair, and balanced. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Daigle" <trianglemike777@msn.com> To: <ACADIAN-CAJUN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2003 11:29 PM Subject: [ACADIAN-CAJUN] Regarding LeBorgne > Hi all, I was just going over some things I've come across in passing and I was looking at information regarding Pierre Thibeaudeau and the land where he settled that is now called Round Hill. I notice on the large marker that I have a photo of that it says "Pierre Thibeaudeau 1631-1704, Naquit Au Poitou, France. It vint a Port Royal Avec Le Borgne. Il Obtint La 'Pre Rhondee' ou il s'establit. Il Eriga Un Moulin A Moudre Du Grain Sur Se Cours D'Eau." Can someone knowledgeable in French tell me what this says exactly? It sounds like he came to Port Royal with someone named Le Borgne. Is this the same Le Borgne that accompanied Olivier Daigre on the ship La Paix in 1663 from the port of La Rochelle? > > Would be interesting to hear some history regarding this particular man named Le Borgne. Any takers? > > Mike Daigle > > > ==== ACADIAN-CAJUN Mailing List ==== > The number one rule of this list is no flaming. If something is posted to the list that disturbs you, bring it to the _admin._, not the list or the person who posted. Your concerns will be addressed. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

Lucie, somehow your email address got on my blocked email list! I've made sure it is off it. Please re send your reply to my previous query. Thanks, Mike Daigle

Title: Louisiana Mardi Gras King Cake (Southern Living Mag.) Description: King Cake for your Mardi Gras celebration. Recipe originally appeared in Southern Living in January 1990. Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°) 2 large eggs 6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened Colored Frostings Colored Sugars Directions: Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to 100° to 110°. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and softened butter on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden. Decorate with bands of Colored Frostings, and sprinkle with Colored Sugars. Note: Once the cake has cooled, randomly insert a plastic baby doll, if desired, before frosting. COOKING TIME: Rise: 1 hr., 20 min.; Bake: 15 min. Number Of Servings:Makes 2 cakes Preparation Time:PREPARATION TIME: 50 min.

"Margy Bousman" <mbousman7@cox.net> writes: > Hi, > > Can anyone tell me about the King's festival? I'm interested in hearing > about the sharing of the King's cake and the recipe (of course). > > Margy ========================= I found this article on the Kingcake written by — Graham Button, www.MardiGrasUnmasked.com =========== King cake: A rich tradition Along with beads and parade floats, king cake has come to symbolize the notion of Mardi Gras as a time of boisterous frivolity. The unofficial food of the gala, the sticky, coffee cake-type pastry—typically festooned with sugar or sprinkles in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green a nd gold/yellow—is indeed a tasty excuse to cut loose, a popular (and undemanding) way to partake in the festive, diet-be-damned spirit of the season. It's estimated that New Orleans-area bakeries, in the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, produce over a million king cakes. Perhaps one third of the total are express-shipped to destinations far and wide, making the local specialty a sort of gastronomic greeting—an expression of good will for corporate customers, distant friends and displaced family members unable to experience the festivities in person. Included with each cake is a small plastic "baby," typically hidden in the dough or underneath the cake. In New Orleans, popular custom holds that the finder of the baby must purchase the next cake and throw a party. King cake came to be associated with Mardi Gras because its traditional appearance on Epiphany (January 6), also known as Twelfth Night or King's Day, signals the start of the season of merriment (i.e., Carnival) that runs through Fat Tuesday. (Because the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season of atonement and abstinence, was one of feasting, it came to be known as Fat Tuesday or, as the French would say, Mardi Gras.) In the story of the Epiphany, as related in the gospel of Matthew, "three wise men from the east" visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem on the twelfth day following his birth. Epiphany became the day appointed by the Church to celebrate the revelation of Christ's divinity to mankind. In the 4th century, the western world's most influential preacher, St. Augustine, romanticized and embellished the story of the Epiphany. The gift-bearing wise men became "kings," and Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, evolved into a major holiday imbued with royal associations. While the Twelfth Night customs that spread throughout Europe were subject to numerous variations, one element transcended virtually every culture that observed the holiday: the choice of a mock king for the occasion. The ritual of hiding a tiny treasure in a celebratory cake was a symbolic reenactment of Epiphany. In France, the bean—la feve—eventually was replaced by a bean-sized baby Jesus; its discovery commemorated the discovery of Jesus' divinity by the Magi. Legend has it that the cakes were made in the shape of a ring and colorfully decorated to resemble a bejeweled crown. It became a tradition to serve the cake with paper or cardboard crown on top. Whoever found the hidden trinket, would get to wear the crown and choose a royal consort. In colonial New Orleans, Creoles, as residents of French and Spanish decent took to calling themselves, adopted the French Twelfth Night cake custom and melded it with their party-loving ways—in particular, the Spanish custom of throwing grand balls where a king and queen were chosen. By the late 18th century, a season of balls, called les bals des Rois (the balls of kings), was well established. On Twelfth Night, the celebrants would wait until the stroke of midnight to cut the cake—a French-style pastry, gateau des Rois, filled with frangipane (made from almond paste, eggs, butter and sugar). Inside was a bean, almond, pecan or perhaps even a jeweled ring. Each week a new king and queen were crowned (the finder of the hidden trinket would get to choose his or her consort). The reigning queen would host the next soirèe at her home; the king, however, was expected to foot the bill. The role of king cake in divining Carnival royalty is most closely associated with the Twelfth Night Revelers (TNR). One of New Orleans Carnival's most socially elite organizations, TNR held its first pageant on January 6, 1870—a procession of floats, or tableaux roulants (rolling tableaux), followed by a ball where the first queen in New Orleans Carnival history was due to be anointed. But after a gigantic cake containing a gold bean was rolled out and sliced, things quickly got out of hand. An attempt was made to distribute slices from the ends of spears that some of the krewemen had carried in the parade; slices were also reportedly thrown to ladies sitting in boxes. If any lady found the bean, she did not step forward. Quite possibly, the trinket was simply lost amid the confusion. At the ball the following year, TNR's monarch, the Lord of Misrule, wasn't about to leave anything to chance. Indeed, as described in Henri Schindler's book Mardi Gras: New Orleans, he "knew which slice contained the bean, and when he saw the young lady receive it, strode to her and before the assembled guests, crowned her Queen of the Ball." While the practice of using king cake to choose royalty was never widely imitated by other Carnival krewes, the toothsome treat nevertheless became more than just a symbol of the festivities: At weekend king cake parties, generations of New Orleans children became familiarized with mock royalty—a concept fundamental to the rituals of Carnival—and teenagers learned the social niceties of drinking, dancing and mingling with members of the opposite sex. Alas, times have changed. Nowadays, teenagers are more likely to have king cake in school than at king cake parties. As for adults, offices have become a prime venue for seasonal rituals involving king cake. The cakes themselves have changed, as well. The almond-paste-filled pastry puff that's traditionally associated with northern France—the gateau des Rois enjoyed by the old Creole gentry in New Orleans—can still be found at some specialty bakeries. But by far the most popular style of king cake these days has more in common with the Bordeaux Twelfth Night cake of southern France—the couronne, French for "crown," which is made from brioche dough. (Key differences: The New Orleans version is rolled with cinnamon, covered with purple, green and gold sugar or sprinkles and typically comes iced rather than glazed.) New Orleans bakers, a decidedly restless and competitive breed, are generally more prone to experimentation and innovation than their more tradition-minded Gallic counterparts—at least when it comes to king cake. Chocolate, blueberry, cream cheese, pecan praline, even crawfish—these are but a few of the fillings now offered in New Orelans-style king cake. Moreover, king cakes come in shapes and colors to complement just about any holiday or special occasion. Meanwhile, thanks to the advent of express-shipping services, New Orleans king cake culture has spread throughout the United States and beyond. As a result, "I got the baby!"—the cry announcing that a party-goer has received the slice of cake with the baby—is literally, during Mardi Gras time, a cry heard round the world. — Graham Button, www.MardiGrasUnmasked.com ============================ Another tradition of Louisiana are the Christmas Bonfires that line the levees on both sides of the Mississippi River on Christmas Eve Approximately 100 bonfires spaced 30 to 40 feet apart over a distance of about 5 miles on top of the levee. Tradition has it that these Bonfires or "les feux de joie" light the way for the Christ Child to attend Midnight Mass. Also it is said that they light the way for the arrival of Papa Noel (Santa Claus). Building bonfires is a family custom. Many families have been building bonfires on the same site on the levee for generations. Each year, the youngest family members are taught the ways and manner of bonfire construction. This includes where to find the right type of wood and what qualities to look for when selecting wood for the bonfire. Construction of the bonfires begins around Thanksgiving Upon completion, cane reed, a type of bamboo, is placed around the sides of the bonfire. When burned the cane reed cracks and pops like fireworks and adds an extra audio effect to the festive spectacle. At 7PM on Christmas Eve, the signal is given by the local volunteer fire departments to light the bonfires. It is quite a site to behold---bonfires ablaze, crackling sounds of burning cane reed. Fireworks are exploding everywhere. The best way to experience the Christmas bonfires is by walking along the levee. Along the way, you can stop and sample gumbo cooked by one of the local volunteer fire departments. Paddle-wheel boats travel from New Orleans to St James Parish. They usually announce their arrival with Christmas carols played on the steam-powered calliope. If you would like to have a truly unique Christmas Eve experience, come witness the Christmas bonfires in St. James Parish. 1998 Gramercy Vol. Fire Department Bonfire Questions or comments about the Christmas bonfires of St James Parish. ========================= Then there is a revival of the traditional "Revillon" A few years back, the celebration of the traditional "Revillion" was instituted by many of the Local New Orleans and Louisiana Restaurants. The custom, celebrated in France and extended to French Canada and Louisiana, consisted of a late supper known as "le réveillon.", served when the family returns home after Midnight Mass. The meal varies according to the region of France. In Alsace, for example, the traditional goose is brought in on a platter and given the place of honor on the table. Bretons serve buckwheat cakes with sour cream. Turkey and chestnuts are served in Burgundy. The favorite dishes of Paris and the Ile-de-France region are oysters, foie gras, and the traditional cake in the form of a Yule log or "bûche de Noël" which used to burn on the hearth on Christmas Eve. The wines served are generally Muscadet, Anjou, Sauterne and Champagne. In Louisiana it may consist of the traditional dishes served at Christmas and may include some of the popular Cajun dishes, such as Gumbo, Jambalaya, sauce Piquant, etc. My family traditionally served chicken gumbo filé with sausage and oysters. Now we have our traditional Christmas feast on Christmas Eve and exchange gifts. This leaves the individual families to celebrate Christmas with their own families and be present when Santa arrives in the morning. Latter on Christmas Day, we visit and have desserts. MERRY CHRISTMAS