“Drinking in the Street”byBart Eversonis licensed underCC BY 2.0
You won’t see any brown paper bags wrapped around beer cans in Louisiana. It’s totally fine to drink in public, as long as you obey the weirdest restriction ever—skipping the straw.
“Gaeney's Bib”byIrishFiresideis licensed underCC BY 2.0
Whether you’re sucking down crawfish or spilling po’boy crumbs and mayonnaise all over yourself, there’s no judgment here. Louisianans know food is exponentially better the more messy it is.
“Cracklins!”byMills Bakeris licensed underCC BY 2.0
Cracklins are made from the layer of fat beneath the skin of hog, and are maybe the best snack food that has ever existed. Saying they’re gross in Louisiana just might start a fight.
In Louisiana, asking someone to “save the laundry” or “save the dishes” doesn’t mean they need to rush over to the laundry or dishes and prevent them from being destroyed. It just means put it away.
No, you don’t need to start your own manufacturing plant. If you’re asked to “make the groceries” it just means you need to go to the store and buy them.
Want to feel like you’re walking through soup? Just go to Louisiana. And if you think you’ll get a break in the winter, think again. There is never a reprieve from the sweltering humidity. Ever.
And they’re also really, super tired of everyone assuming they’re from California.
A day old newspaper is just an excuse for a crawfish boil in Louisiana. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and eat your crawfish-loving hearts out.
The first key to finding your way around Louisiana is learning how to pronounce the street names and landmarks. If it ends in “-eaux” or “-aux” it’s pronounced “oh.” Listening to non-Louisianans try to pronounce things is a source of great entertainment in the state.
In fact, it’s probably for a touchdown. Whether you’re praying to the saints in a Catholic church or praying to the football team, it’s probably regarding a win for the New Orleans Saints. And boy, do they need those prayers.
Nutria—perhaps the most inappropriately named water rat since it sounds like something you’d put in your protein shake—are really super freaky looking, and those creepy orange teeth with never leave your mind.
Jazz funerals, a tradition that came out of New Orleans, are a way of celebrating someone’s life through music and cathartic dancing.
Mardi Gras beads are probably worth all of two cents a strand, but any Louisianan will tackle you to catch a plastic necklace that looks exactly like the thirty other plastic necklaces they already have.
If you order a po’boy in Louisiana (and, really, why wouldn’t you?) be sure to order it “dressed” so you get all the extra goodness of tomato, pickles, and mayo.
Believe it or not, Louisianans don’t actually want to just hear “fine” when they ask how you’re doing. In fact, it might be considered a bit rude to give such a short, uninvolved answer, and to not ask the other person for a long, involved answer about how they’re doing in return.
Louisiana is the Hollywood of the south thanks to tax breaks for filmmakers. So you can thank Louisiana for “American Horror Story,” “True Blood,” and the “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.” Well… that last one is a little embarrassing.
Please don’t mock Louisianans when they try to make a sad little snowball out of a few barely sticking flakes. That’s just mean.
And you will never really know true power until you find a tiny plastic baby inside a piece of cake that you’re eating.
If you see a sign, or if a local warns you that there are a lot of alligators around those parts, it’s not a joke. Seriously. It is not a joke.
If you don’t have a Cajun accent, please don’t try to do your best impersonation. Unless you really feel like sounding like a complete fool—in which case, go at it.
How do you even get around? Most Louisianans who live anywhere near a body of water can steer a boat before they ever get their drivers license.
Louisianans have a superhuman tolerance to heat and a ridiculous love of gumbo that allows them to eat it at absolutely any time of the year. So no, it’s not just a winter dish.
If someone tells you “don’t eat the dead ones” at a crawfish boil, it doesn’t mean don’t eat any of these clearly dead crawfish. It means don’t eat the crawfish that aren’t curved. Those are the crawfish that were dead before they were cooked, and they’re going to taste like mushy disgusting garbage.
Well… it does, but to most Louisianans it has way more to do with where they’re from, since Louisiana still has parishes instead of counties.
Eating a few frog legs or going frogging is the kind of totally normal pastime parent and child might enjoy together in Louisiana, so killing a few frogs definitely isn’t cause for concern.
Cajun French is a language all its own. Just ask every high school Louisianan who can speak perfect Cajun French but still failed a few French classes.
But if everyone is being totally honest, it’s just a cockroach with wings, which actually kind of makes it worse than normal cockroaches.
Louisianans tend to stay close to their extended family, so someone’s “cousin” may not be a first cousin—they might be a third cousin, or even just a close family friend who’s earned the title.
It’s pronounced “Nawlins.” Don’t argue with a Louisianan about how to pronounce a city in their home state.
Louisianans know how to celebrate life. Music, parades, big family and friend gatherings, and a feast’s worth of food are just everyday things in this state. Why? Do you really need a reason? It’s just more fun that way. What do you have to explain about Louisiana to out-of-towners? Tell us in the comments below!
