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Celebrate Papa Noel at the Loews New Orleans for $129

December 4, 2008 at 5:02 PM | 0 Comments

Papa Noel is a long-standing New Orleans tradition celebrating their Santa Claus. This Claus is a little different from the one recognized in Christmas fairy tales flying in the skies with his reindeer crew. We like this description of Papa Noel best:

Papa Noel is the New Orleans Santa Claus, and, like New Orleans, a fog of mystery and myth surrounds him. He doesn't own a sleigh (it would sink in the bayou) and he has no need of reindeer (living on Cajun food, they'd be to full to fly). Instead he moves about in a pirogue, a narrow, flat-bottomed boat that can penetrate the deepest swamp. Some say he has 8 fat alligators and a red-nosed loup garou* to pull his pirogue. Others say no, the alligators are just close friends, the loup garou is a distant cousin, and it's Papa Noel who has the red nose.

To welcome Papa Noel to the Big Easy, families build giant bonfires along the Mississippi River on Christmas Eve so he can navigate his way through the city to all the good little boys and girls.

It's a pretty special tradition and The Loews New Orleans is offering guests the Papa Noel Package at $129 a night which includes complimentary valet parking (a $29 value.) The package is good from Dec. 10 to Dec. 29 and can be booked online or by calling 1-800-23-Loews.

[Photo: David Richmond/New Orleans Online]