Louisiana: the home of Cajuns, Mardi Gras and a culture all its own. It is the home of Lions, Tigers, Bulldogs, Demons and Jaguars. No other state in the union is quite like our home state, and each person in this great southern state is as unique as their home. Nestled in the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, from Houma to Boiser City, our great state has a quality all its own.

People believe some crazy things about Cajuns. We do not all live with alligators in our backyards, and we don’t all take pirogues to work and school. Some of us do have thick accents, but that is just part of living in south Louisiana. The shows on TV do not portray all Louisiana residents, though Hollywood does usually portray accurately our charming southern hospitality and home-style finger licking food. If our neighbors down here need something, all they need is to just call, that’s jut the way we Cajuns roll.

In Louisiana, we know how to party. Mardi Gras, the holiday before Lent, around other parts of the world this is called carnival. The time before lent is used to celebrate and get the parties out of our systems. Usually beginning right after the first of the year, this first season in Louisiana is marked with king cakes, Mardi Gras parades, balls and so many other celebrations. The revitalized city of New Orleans turns into one massive party, all of us letting the good times roll in our own Louisiana way.

Louisiana culture is a entity all its own. From our own Cajun phrases like, Laissez les bons temps rouler, and other French words like cher we have made our own little paradise in the southern part of the U.S. We like our food, our friends and family, and we love our football. One thing you do not cross these natives on is their football and other sports teams. When the New Orleans Saints won the Super bowl in 2009, Mardi Gras was extended two weeks. The entire state erupted in parties, all celebrating one thing, the New Orleans Saints Super bowl win. Even after two hurricanes, these Saints are not marching on anytime soon.

Even the way our state is divided is different from literally any other state in the U.S. Where every other state divides into counties, Louisiana, with Catholic influences is divided into parishes. There are 64 parishes to be exact, with the great capital Baton Rouge nestled East Baton Rouge Parish. Each parish has its own history, and its own story to tell.

All in all, Louisiana stands out on its own, from its people, to the way it has withstood decades of crippling hurricanes. Each thing that goes into the gumbo, the people, culture and history all make it the rich Cajun delicacy that it is.