Cajun people are an ethnic group of people whose ancestors are the descendants of the seventeenth-century French colonists who settled in Acadia(located in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, as well as some parts of Maine. An Italian explorer, Giovanni da Verrazzano, who was in service to the French, originally had named Acadia ‘Arcadia’ for the Arcadia district in Greece. However, the name was shortened in later years and the ‘r’ was omitted.
The first Cajun song ever recorded was sung by Joe and Cleoma Falcon in 1928, and it spoke of getting married.
Cajun wedding traditions are special. The French name for the wedding dance is ‘La Bal de Noce”, and when a guest wants to dance with the bride he must pin money on her beforehand. The morning following the ceremony, friends and family will wake up the newly wed couple, and the couple would be expected to make breakfast for anybody that had stopped by. Both the bride’s parents escort her down the isle, this is a newer tradition. Also, since religion is an important part of Cajun culture, if it is a Catholic ceremony, the bride and groom present a rose to the Blessed Virgin, then to both of their mothers. Following, they greet their respective parents, and this makes for the parents to be the first to congratulate the happy couple and to bid them good tiding.
There is also the tradition of Jumping the Broom, which is a way of confirming the marriage before the priest arrives. Many times if the couple didn’t want to travel far into town, or had to wait a few weeks before a priest was present, they would have the tradition of jumping the broom. In this way, the couple could be married and the community would recognize them as a married couple, until the priest arrived to make it official. Cajun cooking is spicy, exotic, and a definite must for your traditional Cajun wedding! Gumbo is a popular Cajun dish, as well as crab legs, shrimps, crawfish and catfish. There are many notable spices amongst the recipes of the Cajun kitchen, as well many vegetables; three in particular are known as the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajun and Creole cuisines, they are celery, onion and bell pepper. Remember to hire Babylon for all your wedding planning needs. We have over 25 years of experience, and we are the best in the wedding business.
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