New Orleans has existed longer than the United States itself, and with that comes centuries of tradition. And if New Orleans knows one thing, it’s tradition… and food, and history, and… ok, maybe we’re good at a few things, but you get the idea)
Because of our blended gumbo pot of culture and lifestyle, we have many things that have made their way from Europe, the Caribbean and all corners of the world to south Louisiana, where ideas and practices become part of longstanding heritage.
One of those ideals is that of the Reveillon Dinner.
As you could probably guess by the name, the Reveillon Dinner is derived from the French tradition of le réveillon de noël or the French Christmas banquet. While many report that the reveillon – which comes from the term “réveil” and translates to “awakening” – has always been a meal that follows midnight mass, but this is not the case.
The French Christmas feast got the name because these réveillon dinners last hours, well into the night. It is a time for family and feasting and consists of a multitude of courses. There is also a version of réveillon for New Year’s Eve. Both instances are thought to be an “awakening” because of how late into the night the dinner runs or the need to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year.
The French typically start their courses off with that of Champagne. Additional courses include hors d’oeuvres, canapés, shellfish, smoked salmon, escargot and a main dish of some sort of stuffed poultry. According to travelfranceonline.com, the main course was typically stuffed goose, as the bird symbolizes the sun in pagan tradition. If that wasn’t already enough, many end the parade of food with a cheese course, because… France… and the bûche de Noel or the Yule Log – which represents the Yule Fire.
Like many things we do in New Orleans, and South Louisiana, we made it our own when the tradition was brought over by our French ancestors. While the area is mostly Catholic, the idea of the big celebratory Christmas feast needed to follow that of the traditional midnight mass, thus, bringing the meal to a start time of one or two o’clock in the morning.
The yearly feast was popular for well over a century until about the 1940’s – when it looked more like a very early breakfast with eggs, grillades, puddings, etc.
The light dimmed on the tradition, as both Christmastime and religion saw varying degrees of lessened celebration. It wasn’t until about the early 1990’s when the idea gained favor again. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is noted as the driving force behind the resurgence due to the need to attract travelers to visit the Big Easy during the season, which was historically low for conventions and large influx of visitors. The organization partnered with restaurants with the idea to offer special holiday menus to those visiting the French Quarter in December. Ti Martin, co-proprietor of Commander’s Palace, told Southern Living in 2023 that even though the initial push was just for the French Quarter, “we loved the idea so much that we did it anyway, and now more and more restaurants participate!”
Today, over 50 restaurants throughout the city host some sort of Reveillon dinner menu. Restaurant institutions like Commander’s Palace, Muriel’s, Pascal’s Manale, Tujague’s, Galatoire’s and many new favorites are all sporting menus until King’s Day on Jan. 6. The option to celebrate history and tradition in historic restaurants throughout a historic town should not be taken for granted.
For those looking to host their own version, whether following midnight mass or at a more reasonable dinnertime, we suggest taking note from public broadcasting service FRANCE 24 English, based in France, on how to go about making your feast especially “French.” The report by Solange Mougin lays out each course perfectly.
No matter how you celebrate the holiday season, may your days and your meals be merry, bright and beautifully traditional – no matter what that tradition may be.
