Petit Papa Noël - Creole Equivalent to St Nicholas Day

In the post antebellum period, the Louisiana Créoles of both Upper and Lower Louisiana esp., Missouri Créoles and Louisiana Créoles who influenced by Germans and Americans on the ornamental decorative aspect of Christmas. Before the Post antebellum period of Louisiana Territory Créoles and American history, Créoles only celebrate Christmas as a spiritual event and not a secular materialistic holiday. Today, Créoles still celebrate Christmas with spiritual reflection and awakening in mind. While just as many Créoles have been assimilated into American and European (minus French ans Spainard) traditions of celebrating Christmas and Christmas related holiday such as St. Nicholas Day. The whole month of December is a time of commemorating saints and marytars, ferial days, fasting/ abstinence, ringing the bell each day of Advent and lighting fireworks as well, among us Créoles.

The Germans were noted as the ones who introduced the Missouri Créoles to St. Nicholas day and much of the decorative European aspects of Christmas such as Christmas trees. However, it has been documented that the Spaniards introduced the Lower Louisiana, such as Vil New Orleans, to Christmas., I.e. Petit Noël, Little Christmas also known as King Cake Day. The first Christmas tree of the Upper Louisiana Créoles of Missouri (Missouri Creoles) was the Cedar tree. The Cedar tree was not only chooses by Missouri Créoles/Métis as their Christmas tree, the Lower Louisiana Créoles/Métis of Natchitoches, Louisiana and those of Vicksburg, Natchez and Gulf Coast Mississippi, select Cedar trees as their Christmas tree of choice. Much different than the First Christmas tree chosen from the Lower Louisiana Créoles (New Orleans), the bayberry tree, known the the Louisiana Créoles as the wax Myrtle. The ornaments that some as noted as "authentic" Créole ornaments, which place on the Créole Chistmas trees, are mostly German expect, however the sassafras leaves, the feather toppers and the devil toppers (a plant that is deemed protective to Créoles/Metis of both upper and lower Louisiana territory), beaded ornaments I.e., crawfish and the egg cups are Authentic Creole ornaments.

Missouri Créoles of the Louisiana territory, celebrate Petit Papa Noël like the Germans, Europeans and Americans celebrate St. Nicholas day. St. Nicholas was replaced by Petit Papa Noël, which is known to the Créoles as Infant Jesus. Instead of St. Nicholas bring the children tiny gifts such as wooden cars, trucks, marbles and small dolls and fruit such as oranges, Petit Papa Noël gift the children. Petit Papa Noël would come the night before while the children are deeply in a peaceful slumber and place the tiny trinket and/or fruit inside their shoes or stockings.

Don't fret. The spirit and memory of St. Nicholas is commemorated by the Créoles who are devoted Catholics on St. Nicholas Day. But not in the St. Nicholas day traditions of Europeans, Americans and Germans. Commemoration prayers, devotions and/or litany of Saint Nicholas are said by the Créole over his soul.