Cajun Crawfish Pie
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Cajun History
Of all the sections on this site, we enjoy this one on Cajun history the most. Whenever you begin to study and embrace any culture, you must always begin with its history. We are all a byproduct of what has come before us, whether we choose to accept that or not. Our parents, grandparents, and earlier generations lay the foundation that we are born and raised upon. Without our history, there would be no us. Without the Cajun history, there would be no Cajuns. Without Cajuns, Louisiana would be just another boring state, and we would all be eating boring, non-flavored Yankee food. Now wouldn't that be a shame?
While every culture is unique, perhaps no other culture is quite as unique as the Cajuns. They are a very distinct cultural group that is readily identified. While they are no longer solely located within Southern Louisiana, virtually all Cajuns share three distinct aspects, in addition to their genetics: Language, Food, and Religion. Their language is French, with a twist. While Acadians were ridiculed for speaking their language just a generation ago, it is a very proud part of the culture today. As the world now knows, Cajun food is unique and fantastic. Once you have had it, you understand that most non-Cajun food is just boring. Lastly, virtually every Cajun is a Catholic. While this is not always the case today, you won't see a lot of Buddhist temples in South Louisiana. Come to think of it, we have never seen one.
In this section we will discuss:
- What is a Cajun?- Before we can talk about the history and the culture, we need to understand what we are talking about. We will explore the early history of the Acadians, and explain how they moved from France to Nova Scotia, and eventually to Louisiana. While the early history is full of a lot of pain and struggles, it is uplifting and informative as well. Without this beginning, the culture that the world knows and loves today would not exist.
- What is Acadiana?- We will follow our Cajun ancestors as they traveled from Nova Scotia and settled in Louisiana. We will learn about their daily lives, the obstacles that they faced in this new and hot environment, and their ability to adapt and overcome those. Just imagine leaving Nova Scotia and arriving in Louisiana with all of the strange creatures and the draining humidity. This is an amazing story!
- Cajun Language- We will explore the history of Cajuns and their language(s). We will hear first-hand accounts from those that were punished at their school for speaking the French variation. We will also discuss the fantastic return of their language, and how it is a tremendous source of pride and individuality in South Louisiana today.
- Cajun Culture- We will touch on a bit of everything here. We will cover the food, music, religion, dances, festivities, and much more.
- Cajun Houses- One of my favorite subjects on Acadiana, we will explore traditional and modern houses in South Louisiana. We will discuss traditional building techniques, and explore a variety of designs through pictures.
- Cajun Books- From " The Cajun Night Before Christmas" to modern cookbooks, we will discover a variety of written impacts that the Acadians have made on our literary and cultural world.
- Famous Cajuns- We will cover a number of famous Acadians including Edwin Edwards, and we will question whether others are actually Acadians, such as Hank Williams Jr.
- Cajun Trivia- No subject would be complete without a bit of fun trivia. This one is guaranteed to make you think a bit.
- Cajun Names- Another great aspect of Acadian history is the rich names that are associated with it. We will discuss the Boudreaux's, Thibodeaux's, Hebert's, and many others.