French Quarterly

Voodoo came to New Orleans in the early 1700s through slaves brought from Africa’s western “slave coast.” Voodoo then infused with the city’s dominant religion, Catholicism, becoming a Voodoo-Catholicism hybrid sometimes referred to as New Orleans Voodoo.

Patrick van Hoorebeek, a Belgium-born French Quarter bon vivant, is founder of the Krewe of Cork and serves as their King for Life. On February 14, he will lead fellow Corkians on their 20th annual wine-fueled Mardi Gras jaunt through the French Quarter. “We have an 11 am Bloody Mary block party in front of the Court of Two Sisters, followed by a ‘sparkling lunch’ where the champagne shall flow in the lush courtyard, culminating in the 3pm parade, explains the benevolent King.”We celebrate Wine! Food!

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the holiday season is all about traditions--something the 300-year old Crescent City has in spades. The dining rooms of century old restaurants get decked out in their holiday finest.

One of the most popular traditions during the month of December are the réveillon meals that emerge from restaurant kitchens. An old Creole tradition, originally réveillon (which comes from réveil, meaning waking) was a long meal hosted in a private home after midnight mass on Christmas Eve that lasted for hours and sometimes into the morning.

“In victory, you deserve Champagne; in defeat, you need it.” — Napoleon Bonaparte

You don’t have to be a diminutive French dictator to know that nothing says celebration - or consolation - like champagne. Beyond festive, an elegant glass of bubbles sets the stage for great things to come. When kicking off or celebrating the holiday season, take some advice from wine guru Patrick Van Hoorebeek, of the Patrick’s Bar Vin in the French Quarter, and do it up right.

Opening the bottle

Traditionally, the winter holiday season in New Orleans was a two-week celebration, beginning on Christmas Eve with Midnight Mass and continuing through January 8th with the commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans. Celebrations were also held on New Year’s Day, with neighborly visits, family gatherings, and large parties, as well as on January 6th, the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night or Kings Day, the official start to the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras.